NARUTO: Sekai Ni Hi O Tsuketa
by Fired Feathers of a Pheonix
Summary: Fourteen years after the end of the Fourth Great war, two rivals from the Land of the Leaf engage in a series of battles of fate and strength to outwit one another, unknowing that the world around them is falling apart. All the while, a mysterious shadow looms, bent on bringing down the Land of the Leaf, once and for all. -POST MANGA, Possible Spoilers, T-Rating for a Time, OCs-
1. Prologue

**NARUTO: Sekai Ni Hi O Tsuketa  
A/N: **I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. I own the OCs and the plot.

 **A/N:** Let's try this again. This time I have a timeline –posted on my profile for efficiency – and it's up there. This falls fourteen years after the end of the Naruto manga series… sigh it still hurts to talk about. BUT IT WILL BE AMAZING. I'm trying not to make it like the Gaiden because I did not enjoy the Gaiden. This will involve many OCs, but they're not random or annoying, I swear. I hope. Title translation: Set the World on Fire.  
There is a timeline posted on my profile for this series. I assume you'll be looking at it as you read; it might make reading a little easier so you can see when exactly this story is taking place.

 **Summary:**

Fourteen years after the end of the Fourth Great war, two rivals from the Land of the Leaf engage in a series of battles of fate and strength to outwit one another, unknowing that the world around them is falling apart. All the while, a mysterious shadow looms, bent on bringing down the Land of the Leaf, once and for all. -POST MANGA, OCs-

 **OoOoOoOoO**

 **Prologue  
"**A Tale of Two Rivals (And Two Friends) **"**

 **OoOoOoOoO**

 **KONOHAGAKURE, FIRE COUNTRY  
FOURTEEN YEARS AFTER THE WAR – PRESENT DAY  
UCHIHA HOUSEHOLD**

"I'm heading out to go train!"

Uchiha Hikaru is bounding into the kitchen early on a Wednesday morning. His mother, Haruno Sakura, is cooking breakfast, and a piece of toast is snagged before she has any say in the matter. Sakura is a brave, strong woman, but she is also weakened from the young girl she used to be. She is thirty-one years old, hardly in a mid-life crisis, but she is also raising five children. A faint violet diamond is etched into her forehead, years of hard work under a strict teacher having paid off. Her forehead is no longer a large blemish on her complexion like it used to be to her. Now it is holding all of her strength within.

Sakura looks after her oldest child as he tries to break for the door. "Hey! Hold on a second, would you? What's the rush? Come and eat breakfast with your family!"

Hikaru's feet nearly screech against the wooden floors. The toast is hanging out of his mouth as he tries to juggle kunai into his pouch. He manages the task and takes the bread out of his mouth. "I know! But we might not get to train next week since Sensei's baby is coming soon, so we're trying to cram it all in today!"

There are four children sitting at the dining table. At the head of the table sits seven year old Sarada, an intelligent-looking girl who can only resemble her father with that dark stare of hers from behind her thin spectacles. She's reading a book and eating at the same time, ignoring the conversation in front of her. To her left is Akira, who is the only Uchiha child to get her mother's hair. Bright pink falls in tangles around her as she tries to keep her food away from the youngest children of the Uchiha family: Aito and Kaito, twins, both four years old. (Although, if asked, they would argue four and three-quarters.)

Sakura narrows her sharp viridian eyes. "Kai, Ai, stop it. Hikaru, it won't kill you to be a couple minutes late. Isn't Shikamaru late a lot, anyway?"

"Not a lot," Hikaru argues. "Only when he has to take his kids to daycare. Come on, mom, I can't be late."

Sakura stares at her son, the hopeful spark in his black irises, and finally sighs. She wonders if it was her or Sasuke that was able to get their parents to do whatever they wanted by just batting their lashes… probably Sasuke, now that she thinks about it. "Alright, alright, but be home for dinner! Your father is coming home today!"

"Dad's coming home?!" Akira suddenly shouts, bright pink hair swirling around her as she sits up. Her black eyes – all of the children inherited those black eyes that will all become the Sharingan, whether they like it or not – are shimmering.

"Yes, yes," Sakura says, waving her hand at them. "But you have to be good! And you, back home for dinner!"

Hikaru is already by the door, "Got it, mom!"

Sakura smiles and turns back to the pot of oatmeal, and thinks back with a fond smile, of a time when Hikaru was younger, and had no such need for ninja training.

 **OoOoOoOoO**

 _ **KONOHAGAKURE, FIRE COUNTRY  
EIGHT YEARS AFTER THE WAR  
THE ACADEMY**_

 _Uchiha Hikaru hated Nabari Takeshi from the start._

 _Being an Uchiha, from the gecko, he was looked as if he were a demon of sorts. Being a spawn of Uchiha Sasuke, a former traitor of the village and an easily swayed person, didn't grant him many other merits either. Having the Sharingan didn't give him a promising future or tell people he could be an asset to the village. All anyone ever saw was the fact that he would be bad one day, just like his father._

 _Not that he knew any of that. He knew about the Sharingan and that it was powerful, but that was just about it. He'd never awoken it thus far, only being six years old. It only made it that much harder to explain to him why no one liked him, and why they didn't try to be friends to him. The kids at school seemed nice amongst themselves, but when he stepped into the picture they became hostile._

 _Not that they knew any of it either. They only knew the propaganda their parents had given them about the Uchiha._

 _To the young prodigy, being at school was like being alone in a crowded room. The teachers gave him praise – mostly Umino Iruka – for his soaring all A's achievement, but again, that was about it. He never "swapped lunches" or played tag or even any word games. When it came to choosing teams for the Ninja Game at school, he was always picked last._

 _Nabari Takeshi, however, was always picked first, if he wasn't already a captain. Grade wise and shinobi wise, the two were neck-in-neck in their class. Takeshi never seemed to pick up on it, but Hikaru did. And he absolutely one hundred percent hated Takeshi. Well, hate was a strong word – maybe he was merely jealous of the popular boy? Yes, maybe that was it._

 _Everyone loved Takeshi. He was one of those magnetic people that could get just about anyone to be his friend. He had a hilarious laugh and a kind smile, even though he was from a civilian family and his father was dead. It just made the boy realize how much more to appreciate the things and people he had. He was outgoing and made everyone feel welcome, even Fukamura Chiharu, a shy girl who didn't like to participate all that much._

 _It didn't make sense in Hikaru's head. For one, he didn't know why he had to compare himself to the likes of the civilian-born child. He was nothing special. Why did people think he would be the Rokudaime's successor one day? He could be just as great of a Hokage as he could! He was better than him, richer than him, and had an amazing Kekkei Genkai. Who needed people when you had that?_

 _Those were the things he asked himself day after day. He sat in school in the back row, staring enviously where Takeshi sat in the front, grinning at Hagane Kagura like an idiot or writing down his notes and taking everything in just like an achieving student would._

 _He just didn't understand. Why did everyone avoid him? What made him so dislikeable? He hated sitting alone – he hated it, he hated it!_

 _But his class was blind to his growing hatred and loneliness. They enjoyed their youth outside, while he sat indoors, pondering the ways he could beat Takeshi and show them all who was better once and for all._

 _At the start of the second semester, Hikaru got his chance._

 **OoOoOoOoO**

 _It was a sparring day. It was a lesson to show how to fight against those from your village – the customaries and whatnot – and how to engage in a battle against your enemies. They were partnered off based on their skill they had shown in their first year, so that the best student in the class wouldn't be paired with the worst. In other words, they tried to make it as fair as possible._

 _Hikaru wouldn't have asked for anything else. He was the best in class, rivaled only by Takeshi. This meant they were finally going to face off._

 _Oh, Hikaru was going to beat Takeshi with his own knee!_

 _They stood across from each other, about a foot apart. Folding their ring fingers and pinkies into their palm, they extended their arms and folded their fingers together. Takeshi smiled at him and gave him a small, polite bow once they pulled apart, but Hikaru gave him nothing in return._

 _A girl from their class, Hagane Kagura, called out viciously, "You can do it, Takeshi-kun! Beat him up!" There was a chorus of "yeah, get him!"._

 _Takeshi shrugged at Hikaru, as if to say, Eh? What're you gonna do?_

 _Hikaru took a battle position, and Takeshi immediately pulled away from his "fans" (so to say), and got ready to fight._

 _Iruka swiped his hand down like an axe, "Begin!"_

 _Their movements were swift: Takeshi ran at Hikaru, throwing a punch out forward. Hikaru ducked, dropping down like a crab and slashing his feet out at Takeshi's knees. The boy saw this coming and jumped to avoid it. Hikaru pulled back and did a faltering back-flip (hey, prodigy or not, he was only six), landing shakily on his feet._

 _Takeshi ran at him, always headstrong as ever. Hikaru dodged from the oncoming blows several times, until finally he grabbed one of Takeshi's fists and swing at him with his free arm. However, Takeshi took Hikaru's idea and trapped his punch into his palm, bringing the two at a staring-contest stand-still._

 _All of the rage pent up over the last couple of months was driving him insane. He pushed harder onto Takeshi, never letting his eyes leave Takeshi's, but the boy responded with the same amount of strength._

 _Iruka began to advance towards them, "Alright, you two! Show's over." But no one was paying attention._

" _Come on, Nabari!"_

" _You can do it!"_

" _G-G-Go Takeshi-kun!"_

" _TA-KE-SHI! TA-KE-SHI!"_

 _The boy they were calling out to grit his teeth in frustration – although he bore no enmity to Hikaru, he still wanted to win, and they were knocking off his concentration._

 _Hikaru smirked – this was his chance to prove himself to them! This was it! He wouldn't be alone anymore! Not anymore! God, he hated Takeshi! Hated him! Hated him!_

" _Okay, okay, you two, I think you've proved your point," Iruka started again, reaching for them, but Hikaru was too quick._

 _He pulled back just ever so slightly, dropping down again and sending his feet into Takeshi's gut. The child cried out, gasping and falling back. There were gasps in the audience, and Hikaru sprung forward, tackling the boy down._

 _Iruka shouted something, but Hikaru wasn't listening. The mantra of hatred and loneliness was still echoing in his skull. He slammed his knuckles into Takeshi's jaw, and again in his eye, then once more, and again, and at his nose._

 _And just as he was about to slam his elbow into the boy's neck, a pair of strong arms pulled Hikaru away from the bloody boy, and he snapped out of whatever angry trance he was in. Takeshi was on the ground, eyes wide and staring at Hikaru as if he were a beast._

 _As for the other kids, they were just like Takeshi: speechless. The sparring sessions weren't supposed to go that far. You were only supposed to pin them down for three seconds or more._

 _Iruka glared down at Hikaru, "You're done for today. I'm having a parent-teacher conference after school."_

 _He set the boy down, who nodded with small tears in his eyes and ran off without an apology._

 _A knot formed in his gut._

 **OoOoOoOoO**

 _ **KONOHAGAKURE, FIRE COUNTRY  
WEST FOREST**_

 _He didn't go back to class. He couldn't. He hadn't meant to really hurt Takeshi; he just meant to show him up. Did his pride get to him? Or was it just his neglected feelings? There was no reason for Takeshi to be the embodiment of his hatred – he was just a good person and trying to be nice._

 _How could he face Takeshi knowing what he'd done? There was blood running down his face from his nose and over his lips. What if he broke his nose? He would probably have a black eye too._

 _The young Uchiha growled in frustration. Now he was going to be in trouble, too. His dad wasn't lenient on punishments. He never enforced any physical or verbal damage, but still, he was in deep kimshee._

 _So he ran off without any indication of where he was going – even he didn't know – and just let himself carry off to who knows where. He ran down streets and alleys he wasn't familiar with, until he was lost altogether in a forest area that was probably a training ground. He stopped at the edge of a black-water lake and sat on one of the many white rocks at its rim, sinking his feet into the cold water (after taking off his shoes first and setting them neatly at his side)._

 _For hours he just let his feet prune as he kicked unenthusiastically at the water, staring at nothing. Even as the sun began to dip in the horizon, he couldn't believe what he'd done or why he'd done it. It's not like Takeshi was ever mean to him. A little rude unintentionally sometimes, but what kid knew any better?_

 _He sighed. He should have just given up when Iruka told him to._

" _So you punch me and then run off? For shame, Hikaru, for shame."_

 _Hikaru jumped at the sound of the voice, whirling his head around. His black hair flew around him, his matching eyes meeting with Takeshi's rain-blue eyes._

 _Although expecting a scowl on the bruised boy's face – yeah, he definitely broke the boy's nose – he found a lazy smile. Hikaru's eyes widened, "Uh-ah, Take… what are you, why are you?" Nothing coherent could really come out._

 _Takeshi rolled his eyes, standing behind him and leaning over him so that when Hikaru looked up, Takeshi's face was there. "Uh, duh, I couldn't just let you show me up like that!"_

 _The young Uchiha's face flushed, "I, umm, sorry, I just-"_

" _Nah, it's okay. I probably deserved it. You looked like you really hated me. …You punched at me like you really hated me." He easily said this with a simple shrug and a pained smile._

 _A pang of guilt hit Hikaru, and the coil in his stomach tightened. "No, that's not… I didn't mean it like- it's just that no one likes me and everyone likes you."_

" _Have you tried to not punch people?"_

 _Hikaru glared._

" _Right, right. Sorry."_

 _Takeshi sighed, moving over to Hikaru's left and taking a seat next to him. He didn't dip his feet in the water like Hikaru did (on account he still had his shoes on). He looked to him, "Well, if you weren't so quiet, maybe we'd be friends."_

 _Hikaru scoffed, "No one likes me."_

" _They don't know that until they meet you."_

 _Grabbing a stone in his hand, he threw it angrily at the water. "But they won't! They won't because I'm an Uchiha!"_

 _There was a brief silence between them. Hikaru figured it was because Takeshi hadn't known about his being an elite, and that he was probably just telling himself to go home now, that he wasn't worth his time, that-_

" _Um, so?"_

 _Hikaru blinked. He looked up at Takeshi, who more or less looked like he had no clue what a fricking Uchiha even was._

"… _It's because of my dad. No one likes him. So they don't like me."_

"… _.No, I mean, I have no idea. Who's your dad? Is he a big deal, or something?"_

" _His name is Sasuke Uchiha?"_

 _Takeshi didn't seem impressed or fearful. He just started like, Okay? And?_

 _Hikaru sighed, "It figures that you wouldn't know any elite shinobi families since you're from a civilian one."_

 _The blond boy raised an eyebrow, "Huh? Who said that? My dad was a shinobi. He fought in the Fourth War – and lived!"_

 _Hikaru stared at him in surprise. Not many people can back from that war. Well, his dad did, but not many others. His dad's student, Fujioka Jin's dad, never came back. Besides, if he hadn't died in the war, then how did Takeshi's dad die?_

" _But, then how-"_

" _Dunno. My mom said there was an accident, but she never told me exactly what happened. In any case, why don't people like the Uchiha? I've ne'er heard of 'em."_

 _It took him a moment to answer – he was still on the subject of Takeshi's dad when the question came out. When he did, he just shrugged, "I-unno."_

" _You don't? Then how do you even know if they're right about you?"_

" _I…" Hikaru was at a loss for words. Takeshi was absolutely right! Who was to say that just because his clan "did" something "bad", then that meant he was bad? No! It wasn't right at all!_

 _Takeshi smiled, his black eye slightly cringing as he did, "See? Now that we've covered that…" His voice trailed off, but before Hikaru could ask, he felt a hand on his back, shoving him to the water. He slid, becoming enveloped in the black water._

 _He pushed his way up to the surface, gasping and sputtering. He glared up at Takeshi, "What was that for?"_

 _Takeshi grinned cheekily, "That was for this." He gestured to his beaten face._

 _His ears went pink, and then he smiled, "Oh, right! Then I guess I should pay you back for this!" He grabbed Takeshi's ankle and pulled._

 _Splash._

 _Mimicking Hikaru's resurface and sputtering technique, Takeshi wiped the water off his eyelids (cringing when he put too much pressure on the black eye) and looked at Hikaru, who sniggered._

 _He shoved his hands forward, splashing him._

" _Hey!"_

" _Well, you pulled me in!"_

" _You did it first!"_

 _The two children laughed, trying to duck each other under and splashing one other. Takeshi pulled himself out of the water, Hikaru short behind. The former tapped the black-haired one, and shouted, "Tag! You're it!"_

" _Come back here, evil doer!"_

" _I shall never surrender, Uzumaki Naruto!"_

" _Oh yeah? Taste this, Madara! RASENGAN!"_

 _They then ran at each other, Hikaru pretending to be wielding a Rasengan and Takeshi "powerless" to stop it. He screamed, "Oh, no! YOU GOT ME! Bleh!" Then he fell over, dramatically dying._

 _Hikaru laughed, dropping at his side. As their giggles died down, they stared up at the last rays of sunlight that flew through the trees overhead._

 _The young Uchiha closed his eyes, breathless, "Takeshi?"_

" _Yeah?"_

 _Something in his heart suddenly wasn't heavy anymore – like a burden had been lifted._

" _Thanks."_

 **OoOoOoOoO**

 **KONOHAGAKURE, FIRE COUNTRY  
PRESENT DAY  
TRAINING GROUNDS**

A single girl and her dog stood at the training fields. They were always the first to arrive and the last to leave. Her uncle, Inuzuka Kiba, was a firm believer in 'early starts,' and since she had been practically raised by the man, she always woke early, no matter the time she fell asleep. It was natural for her, and her pup. She had the unruly hair of the Inuzuka, brown and shaggy, wearing a coat with fur lining the hood. The jacket drowned her thin frame, and she wore thin leggings to cover her bone legs and standard shinobi blue shoes for her feet. Two triangles were on her face, one for each cheek (although her hair fell over the right side of her face, hiding one of the tattoos), and her eyes were a piercing black. She could be pretty, if given the effort. She was too much a tomboy for that, though, and she was only thirteen. She didn't care for makeup or cute clothes. To most it didn't seem like she cared for anything at all.

"Good morning, Hikaru," she said in a slow, calculating voice, as she heard the labored breaths of her teammate behind her. She could smell her teammate's sweat; he must have ran the whole way here from his house.

He groaned once he came into sight. "Geez! How are you always here so early? I thought I would beat you today." He smirked, his teeth radiantly shining, and she gave him a smile back, humoring him.

"You would have to wake up early to beat me, Hikaru," she mocked, pushing herself up from where she leaned on one of the many trees the grounds had to offer. "Also, good morning again."

He blinked, "Oh, morning, Hanako. And good morning Kiiromaru!" He knelt down to greet the small pup that was jumping up at his legs, yipping softly. He pet the dog behind the ears and smiled up at Hanako. "So how's your morning?"

"Fair. Kiiro and I stopped for some breakfast during our walk and then paid a visit to my uncle's house. Chatted with him for a bit and then came here."

"…How early do you even get up?"

"Early," she replied with a smirk, leaning down and petting along Kiiromaru's back. She glanced up at the sky. "Might rain today. The air smells more humid than usual. At least, it feels that way… How's your morning?"

Hikaru shrugged, looking up at the sky. He knew about the rain the moment he'd stepped outside today. "Alright. Dad's coming home today." Silence reigned between the two of them. Hanako gave him a knowing look and then focused back on her pup, knowing the topic was sensitive. If Hikaru wanted to talk, he would. When he didn't, she only nodded.

"I see. Well, tell him I said hello."

"Have you met him before?" Hikaru wondered.

"No," she replied simply. "But I am your teammate. I'm sure he and I will cross paths one day."

"Do you have to practice to talk like that, or is it natural?"

Hanako sniggered and punched Hikaru in the arm. He laughed, too.

 **OoOoOoOoO**

 _ **KONOHAGAKURE, FIRE COUNTRY  
EIGHT YEARS AFTER THE WAR**_

" _What do we write this paper for?" Hikaru wondered to Takeshi – the former had been in the bathroom when Iruka had explained the assignment._

 _Takeshi got out a piece of paper and readied his pencil between his fingers. "We're supposed to write about what we want to do once we're ninja."_

 _The Uchiha nodded once, "Oh… cool!"_

" _Tell me about it," Kagura said dreamily. "I already know what I'm going to do. I'm going to be a Hyuuga!"_

 _Hikaru stared at her, "You realize you have to be born a Hyuuga to be one of them, right?"_

" _Really? Aw, that sucks."_

 _Takeshi laughed, "But good try anyway, Kagu-rawr."_

 _Kagura giggled, blushing. Hikaru stared at his paper, then to Takeshi. "What do you want to do?"_

 _Takeshi didn't even stammer, his confidence infinite, "I'm going to be Hokage, duh."_

" _You-you'll make a great Hokage, Nabari-san!" Koushiro cheered._

" _Thanks, Koushiro. I'll make you my second right-hand man."_

" _Second?"_

" _Course. Hikaru is the first."_

 _Hikaru beamed in pride – Takeshi actually picked him first? An Uchiha? He smiled at him, positively embarrassed, "Thanks."_

" _No problem – so, what do you want to do, Hikaru?"_

 _All eyes were on him. Hikaru thought about it for a moment. While Hokage sounded cool, it wasn't something he was after. He grinned, "I want people to like my clan, is all. I guess I just want to make people see we aren't bad."_

 _There was a moment of silence as they all stared at him._

" _That's better than seeking title of Hokage, I'd say," was all Takeshi ever said on the matter._

 **OoOoOoOoO**

 _After school, every day, Hikaru and Takeshi had played in the park until after sunset. They played games like Ninja and Assassin, or even tag and hopscotch. (Who said it was a girly game? It was still fun.) The two had chased around a raccoon until it disappeared into the thicket of a forest, and tried to build a fort out of large branches. It was just as they'd finished the third wall that they had realized the sunlight was almost gone._

" _I should probably go home," Takeshi figured. "My momma's gonna kill me when she finds out how late it is."_

 _Hikaru nodded, "Yeah, okay. Meet you up at the usual meeting spot tomorrow morning?"_

 _Takeshi laughed, "Duh. Where else?"_

" _I-unno. In any case, bring your paints tomorrow. We have to color in our camouflage blanket."_

" _Paints. Got it." The blonde boy mentally made a note to himself._

 _The two reached the stairs that led out of the park._

 _Hikaru waved his friend off, running off to the left, "Just don't forget!"_

" _I won't!"_

 **OoOoOoOoO**

He forgot, I bet that's why he's late, _Hikaru grumbled to himself, sitting down in his usual seat. The seat next to him – Takeshi's – was empty, which was strange that in itself. As Iruka called roll, he said,_

" _Nabari Takeshi."_

 _There was no response. Hikaru glanced worriedly at his seat. Takeshi was never late or absent. He was going for perfect attendance. So where was he?_

" _Huh? Is he not here? Oh, I guess I have to mark him absent…" Iruka seemed distracted. He was probably on the same mindset as Hikaru._

 _Twenty-three pairs of eyes, sensei and students alike, stared at the empty seat._

 **OoOoOoOoO**

 _On the third day of his absence, Hikaru decided he would go to Takeshi's house. He went there often, so it wouldn't be weird if he just suddenly showed up. Minami liked him, and Takeshi was probably just sick, so there would be no harm so long as he got home on time._

 _But as he headed toward the front gates of the Academy, his eyes fell on a familiar, lean figure. His hair was black and fell around the sides of his face. He blinked. His dad never ever came to pick him up. He was always gone from the village, or working with the Hokage. He came to a stop at his dad, who flashed him a warm smile._

" _Dad? What're you doing here?"_

 _Sasuke held out his hand, "I got out of work early. Come on, let's head home."_

 _His after-school plans suddenly flashed in his head. "Uh, can we stop at Takeshi's house? I haven't seen him in a while. He's been absent."_

 _Sasuke didn't say anything at first, hesitating. But instead of telling his son what he needed to, he just merely held out his hand further, "He's in the hospital. He'll be out in no time."_

 _Hikaru gasped, "The hospital? But why is he in the hospital?"_

" _He's just sick. It's a little contagious, so we won't be able to visit him until he's cleared. Okay?"_

 _A pang of disappointment and worrisome thoughts hit him._

 _Nonetheless, he took his dad's hand._

" _Okay."_

 **OoOoOoOoO**

 _A week passed, then two. Still, there was no sight of his best friend. He had been begging his dad to just go to the hospital and see him through a window or something, but every answer was the same. Honestly, Hikaru wondered if parents had the ability to say "yes"._

 _He told everyone in class of the problem, so they all constructed a "Get Well" card for him. Even Iruka signed, albeit reluctantly. Hikaru kept it in his possession in case he was ever granted access to the hospital. But as the days grew longer, Hikaru realized that without Takeshi, he was almost nothing. He didn't feel all that happy at school, for he was plagued with worry and fear. What had become of his friend? Was he so sick that he couldn't get up? He seemed fine the last time Hikaru saw him._

 _But then something entered his mind the nth time he asked his dad to see him. He realized that his dad would never look him in the eyes when he said no, that he was sick and he would make Hikaru sick too. Why wouldn't he ever look his first-born in the eye? He always busied himself with papers or meals or even on objects that were nearby like a vase of flowers. And then there were the times Sasuke would just say no and walk away, trying to get the attention of their gardener, Juugo, or Sakura. He would even use Naruto – his uncle and the Rokudaime Hokage – as an excuse to be pulled away from his son._

 _It hit him later why he wouldn't look him in the eye – he was lying to him._

 _But why would his dad lie? Was Takeshi not in the hospital? If so, then where was he? Was he in trouble? Did he leave the village? (Well, he was probably too young for that alone.)_

 _He finally just sucked in his gut and decided he would go to Takeshi's tomorrow. Even if he had to cut school, he had to go to Takeshi's house. If he wasn't at there, then he would check the hospital. Surely someone would let him in, right? Especially since his best friend in the whole world was in there._

 _They would, right?_

 **OoOoOoOoO**

 **KONOHAGAKURE, FIRE COUNTRY  
PRESENT DAY  
TRAINING GROUNDS**

Hikaru and Hanako had been on a team for over a year, maybe. Hikaru graduated a year early from the Academy. His peers from back then, the ones he had trained with and tested with, they had just graduated a little over two months ago. Hikaru didn't seem them much, anymore. The only ones he cared to see were Hagane Kagura and Yamanaka Koushiro. They, along with… other people, had been among his best friends.

In any case, Hanako had been a drastic change from the friends he had grown up with. She was honest, almost frighteningly so, and much like a mother, how she knew what you were thinking before you even did it. She had a knack for taking care of Hikaru and their other teammate, Yasashi. She wasn't like the girls in his class who would vie for his attention or scream when caterpillars crawled closer; she was confident and cool, and did not give much of a damn of what others thought.

Hikaru liked those things about her. They bumped heads at first when Hanako may have been a little more than truthful when she'd first met him (and hurtful), but over time and missions, they came to understand that they were very different people. But they were okay with that. Nowadays they still bumped heads, but that was a good thing, sometimes.

They waited for their sensei and other teammate at the bank of a small creek that flowed through their training spot. Kiiromaru was more than happy to take a dip, and Hanako didn't get mad when the pup splashed her. She embraced nature in all its forms, something Hikaru didn't quite get. Wasn't she cold? ("It's just water," he knew she would argue, so he didn't ask. "It's not hurting me.")

"So," Hikaru started. "The Chuunin Exams are coming up… Do you think Sensei will let us take the exam this year?"

Hanako kicked her feet lazily in the water, shoes discarded against her hip. Her head fell back so her nose was pointed up towards the canopy of the trees. "I don't know," she simply replied. "Honestly, I don't think we're ready. I don't think we should try out this year."

Hikaru pursed his lips, staring at the water. His hair was long, his bangs framing his face and the rest chin-length. "I think we're ready. We've taken four C-Rank so far. I know that's not a lot, but for Genin like us… Especially since we only have a year of experience under our belts, I think that's good enough."

"I don't," Hanako said, her brows knit together. "People with seven years of experience under their belt fail that exam. It's hard, Hikaru. It's not like the written tests we took in the Academy. People go into therapy after taking that test."

Hikaru bit at his thumb. "Yeah, but we have each other with us. I mean, you keep a good head on the group, and Yasashi is a goofball sometimes, but he knows what to do in a pinch. And I think I'm strong enough-"

"Strong enough won't do you any good. Almost no one succeeds at that test on their first try."

"Sensei did."

"Because he has an IQ over 200," Hanako pointed out, eyes still not parting with the sky. "We don't have that."

"We were trained by him," Hikaru countered.

"So that means if I was trained by you, that means I get the Sharingan?! No, no it doesn't, Hikaru. You can't just… inherit talent. It doesn't work like that." She laid back, closing her eyes, hands folded over her stomach.

Hikaru glared down at her and turned away. "I'll still think we're ready," he muttered, bitterly.

 **OoOoOoOoO**

 _ **KONOHAGAKURE, FIRE COUNTRY  
EIGHT YEARS AFTER THE WAR**_

 _He hated them – all of them. How could they be so happy, so innocent? Couldn't they see that there was a problem with the picture? Did they not see the empty chair that had been collecting dust for weeks?_

 _Takeshi struggled to open the door, his chest still pained. His hair was no longer blonde – it was an ashy gray color. His wrists were bandaged as well as his forehead, and his skin was red on his ankles. He pushed into the classroom with difficulty, having to limp due to his right leg._

 _No one really looked at him when he first entered. Figures. The lot of them were all oblivious. Did they know where he had been? Or did they just make up lies?_

" _Nabari? Is that you?" Umino Iruka's voice was in disbelief, risen so the whole class would hear. Shocked – he was back! – they turned to him, but their smiles fell short when they saw him._

 _Why wouldn't they stare? He was disgusting now. He was probably a good ten pounds (give or take) lighter than the last time they saw him, and his skin was pale and gray now. And if it wasn't, then there were purple, yellow and green bruises on him. The only things that hadn't changed about him were his light, crystal-blue eyes._

" _T-Takeshi-kun?" Kagura stammered, her dark eyes wide._

" _Takeshi!" Hikaru cheered, as if he hadn't seen the bruises or the hair or anything. He ran up to his friend, lunging at him and pulling him in a tight hug. Takeshi gasped and stumbled, a small cry of pain escaping his lips. Sheesh, those doctors weren't kidding when they told him his ribs were bruised severely._

 _Hikaru didn't notice, though. He just pulled back with a stupid grin on his face, "Takeshi! You're okay! I was so worried about you! What happened to your hair? Are you still conta-conta- contagious?" He struggled with the word._

 _Although he expected to be lighter in mood when he would see Hikaru, his chest grew heavier. His eyes grew darker, deadlier. "Get away from me."_

 _The young Uchiha boy finally sensed the mood in the classroom, his utmost joy disintegrating. "H…huh? What do you-"_

 _Takeshi, just wanting to avoid them all, pushed past him, limping, "Just what it sounds like. Go away."_

 _The room grew quiet. Deciding it best to leave him be for a while, Hikaru let him go._

 _It was the last chance he ever had._

 **OoOoOoOoO**

 _The changed Takeshi was strange to the way he had been before. Instead of laughing, he moped around on the swing that hung under a large oak tree. Instead of making more friends, he detached himself from not only the class, but the teachers too._

 _Also, Takeshi was absent a lot now. It happened every other week on Thursdays. On the Wednesdays before he would leave, he would ask for all of the work for the next day and turn it in on Friday. He kept up his grades, and they were actually probably better due to his lack of distractions._

 _He used to suck up to the old Takeshi, but nowadays bullies like Juruko made it his priority to bother the distant child. He was worse to Takeshi than he had been to Hikaru – spitting spitballs at him during class, tripping him in the hallways, taking his backpack and having a girl put it in the girl's bathroom until a teacher would find it and return it._

 _And Juruko was a major factor to the way kids saw things. He was the biggest reason it took so long for kids to like Hikaru. They all saw his behavior to Takeshi, so they backed off from the sullen child. He was different. He wasn't the same Takeshi. He didn't laugh or play or joke around. The light in his eyes just vanished._

 _The numbers of people who wanted Takeshi back dwindled. They began to hate him just like Juruko did; and being children they didn't really have a reason. It's easier for a child to let go of friends._

 _Before long, Koushiro, Kagura, and Hikaru were the only ones left._

 _They hung to his memory by a shoestring._

 **OoOoOoOoO**

 _He had been quietly sullen for weeks, hardly saying a word to any of the other children. The other children questioned him, wondered where he had been, why he had changed. Why wouldn't he smile anymore? They all wondered._

 _But most of all, even over Hikaru, was the young girl, Hagane Kagura. She used to be nobody like Hikaru once, until Takeshi… well, the old Takeshi… stood up for her. Everyone called her ugly because of her stupid dark eyes and her straw-like black hair. She didn't come from an esteemed family, so she didn't have any pretty dresses. They all called her "Ugly Betty" and "Kagu-baka" and "Rag Doll"._

 _But while all of the kids made of her, she began to cry, and Takeshi suddenly pushed Ryosuke, and said,_

" _Hey, stop that, I think she's the most beautiful girl in the world."_

 _They laughed it off at first, but Takeshi had been serious. He did think that way of her, and it meant so much to her that she declared her love for him privately and dreamed that one day they would be married._

 _Sure, there had been… distractions. But who wouldn't find Uchiha Hikaru positively adorable? He was sweet but with a soft manly side to him. His Uchiha genes made him irresistible too. So she fawned after him for a while, but the biggest reason was to make Takeshi jealous. She wanted to remind him that she could find boys just as quickly as girls caught his eye, so that she would be more desirable. And it worked, for a time, until he suddenly stopped showing up to school._

 _He hadn't spoken a word to her since he came back. She was going to find out if it killed her, too._

" _Takeshi-kun?" She said one day on the playground, while he silently sat on his swing. He merely looked at her, not moving his head or showing any condition that her presence disrupted him._

" _Um, well," she began, since it didn't seem like he was going to reply any time soon. "I, I was just wondering if we could eat lunch together – like we used to?"_

 _He looked away._

 _She puffed her cheeks with air, anger twitching in her eyebrow. Why did boys have to be so stupid?_

" _Don't you care that no one likes you anymore? I thought you were going to be Hokage!"_

 _He didn't move._

 _She grabbed both of the ropes on the swing, making him look her in the eyes, "TA-KE-SHI! Why are you being so mean? I thought you were nice! But I guess you're just a big IDIOT!"_

 _His icy eyes glared at her._

" _At least I'm not a skinny twig with straw hair! What are you, a rag doll?"_

 _Kagura's eyes widened, and she let go of the ropes. Out of all people, she had never expected him, Nabari Takeshi, the love of her life, to call her those mean names._

 _Her lips trembled, tears in her eyes. She suddenly shouted, "Oh, yeah? WELL AT LEAST I'M NOT A BIG JERK!" She turned on her heel and ran off the playground, to find a silent place to cry on her own._

 _Takeshi rolled his eyes, and began to murmur to himself like he always did now._

 _Over in the sandbox, Koushiro and Hikaru exchanged glances._

 **OoOoOoOoO**

 _The two boys, deciding to take on the man-only man mission, decided to approach him after school. It was probably just some of the kids that made him edgy. The real Takeshi they knew would never ever say mean things to Kagura that she repeated through a tirade of tears. He was probably just upset over being sick for so long? Yes, that had to be it._

" _Takeshi!" Hikaru shouted down the road, making the boy stop. Takeshi turned with his ashen hair falling over his eyes, the life that had been in him once almost gone._

" _N-Nabari-san!" Koushiro shouted in tune with Hikaru, and they came to a breathless stop in front of the detached boy._

 _His voice came out soft, "What?"_

 _Koushiro was the first to speak, "Don't- Don't you think you were being a little mean to Kagura-san? I mean, all she wanted to do was help."_

 _Takeshi narrowed his eyes, but said nothing._

 _Hikaru took over, "Ta-Takeshi" – he was still breathless from running – "I don't know why you're suddenly mean now, but it's no reason to call Kagura ugly! I thought you liked her?"_

 _The Nabari said nothing, again, but his fists were clenched when he had said "suddenly"._

 _The young Uchiha huffed, and tried a different approach, "Come on, Takeshi, don't you want to go play or something? We can play Naruto versus Madara again if you want."_

 _Takeshi scoffed, "I don't have time for childish games. Leave me alone."_

 _Koushiro grabbed the hem of Takeshi's shirt, "But- Nabari-sa-"_

" _But nothing!" Takeshi suddenly shouted. He shoved Koushiro off, "I don't want to play your stupid games. I have bigger and better things to- SHUT UP!" He shrieked at nothing, glaring at the sky, for nothing was talking other than him._

 _Hikaru flinched back, then narrowed his eyes, "Takeshi, you're being weird! Just calm down and-"_

 _Takeshi grabbed a fistful of his hair, "Just shut up, Mr. "I have to be perfect all the time". Just shut up and leave me alone!"_

 _Koushiro tried again to grab him, but this time he sent his fist flying at Koushiro, nailing him in the jaw. The blonde boy cried out and toppled over, leaving Hikaru to gasp._

 _He raised his fists at Takeshi, and without thinking, charged at him. They met each other with fierce grips, wrestling each other to the ground. They rolled around in the dirt, punching and kicking and scratching at whatever they could._

 _Koushiro cried out, pulling at their shoulders to separate them, but they bat him away, and kicked at him, causing him to fall back. With nothing else to do, he ran off in search of an adult before they killed each other._

 _Yet somehow, he knew it wouldn't be the last fight._

 **OoOoOoOoO**

 **KONOHAGAKURE, FIRE COUNTRY  
PRESENT DAY  
TRAINING GROUNDS**

"Good morning, Yasashi," Hanako suddenly said, amid their silence. Hikaru blinked and looked over his shoulder. His teammate, fourteen-year old Yasashi (who should have graduated a year before Hanako and Hikaru did, but failed the test that year) looked poised to attack, as if he were about to roar in Hikaru's ear. Hikaru smirked.

"Morning, Yasashi," he mimed, grinning.

Yasashi exhaled deeply and smiled, sitting down between Hanako and Hikaru. "Dang, Hanako, I almost had him that time!"

"Keyword, almost," Hikaru mocked. He wasn't about to let off that he really had no idea his older teammate was behind him. He was so caught up in his thoughts of the Chuunin Exams. Speaking of… "So, hey, Yasashi, if we were asked by Sensei about the Chuunin Exams, would you take them?"

Yasashi lifted up his blood red eyes that he inherited from his mother. When Hikaru had first met Yasashi, he mistook his red eyes for the Sharingan, but Yasashi quickly explained he was a member of the Yuhi family, and that while they were masters of Genjutsu in all its forms, they were not superior to the Uchiha. He had dark, curly brown hair that fell over his brows, his headband showing from underneath the messy curls. His skin was darker, a memento of his father, who had died in the line of service before he was born. Hikaru never asked about it, not really, but he knew that their Sensei had taken the place of Yasashi's father, long ago. Yasashi almost seemed embarrassed of his father's side of the family, not calling himself the Sarutobi surname. He stuck to Yuhi most of the time, and when he introduced himself to people, he would use that name.

"I mean, I'd be game for it," Yasashi answered, having taken so long that Hikaru had almost forgot the question. "But like, wouldn't I get killed? I have a track record of like… almost dying. On every mission. Like."

Hikaru snickered, "Shut up. You wouldn't die. Hanako and I would be there."

"Okay, sure, but you and Hanako are usually there and I die a lot anyway."

Hanako snorted, "I told you, Hikaru, we're not ready."

"We could do it," Hikaru protested, and looked back at the water with determination. "Could you… could you guys at least consider it?"

Yasashi laughed, "Alright, alright, I'll think about it. I was joking. I think I could at least try. But why the interest? I've never heard of you talk about this before?" He began to pull at grass between his fingers. Kiiromaru barked at something and jumped into the water, splashing the three of them. Hikaru and Yasashi recoiled; Hanako smiled.

Hikaru sighed and pulled at his shirt, which was covered in water now. "Ugh, I just… I don't know, I was interested in taking it this year. I mean, it can't hurt to at least try, right? And if things look rough, we can always give up and try again next year. I just think it's worth trying."

"You don't give up," Hanako droned. "Never have, never will. And… Good morning, Sensei."

"Good morning," a voice groaned back, and the three immediately sat up, turning around and standing to see their Sensei.

Nara Shikamaru was a simple man who preferred a simple life (although, more often than not, his life was anything but). He was not remarkable in appearance, his black hair tied back into a ponytail, a stud in either ear. He wore the standard green flak jacket, his headband tied over his forearm. He always had a bored, dull look in his eye, but he looked tired today, especially.

"Sensei!" Yasashi cried, running up to the man who had helped raise him, running to greet him in a hug. Shikamaru returned the hug with a lazy smile. "How's Momma Number 2?"

"Temari's fine. She nearly killed me last night saying she had aches, but we're pretty sure it's pre-labor pains. I think we're all just about ready to get that child out of her… Troublesome…" He sighed. He lifted his eyes. "But she'll be alright. It's her third kid, she's knows what she's doing."

Yasashi nodded and pulled away from the hug, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "Cool! I can't wait! What are you going to name the baby?"

"If it's a girl, Karura. If it's a boy, Shikatani." Shikamaru leaned against the very tree Hanako had been leaning on when Hikaru had first arrived. "But we're pretty sure this is going to be the last kid. Temari wants to get back into International Affairs, so she's going to need to travel more. Which means she'll need to start training again because the roads are dangerous…" he scratched the back of his neck. "But, whatever. Let's start training for the day. Today, I think, we're gonna-"

"Wait," Hikaru said, as Kiiromaru jumped out of the creek, padding over to Hanako's side. "Before we start… Can I ask about the Chuunin Exams?"

Their Sensei paused. He raised a brow, looking positively exhausted. "Hn?"

Hanako trained her eyes on her pup, probably seeing how dirty he was now, "He wants to know if we can take them. I don't think we're ready."

"I think we are!" Hikaru argued. "I just… we could, right? You said it yourself, Sensei. You said that we were getting smarter, and more applicable to tougher missions. You said that we were stronger!"

Nara Shikamaru glanced among his students. This was trouble. An Uchiha, and a young one at that, wanted to take the exam, which could likely kill or at least horribly scar him and his team. Shikamaru had gotten through that exam – he shouldn't have, thinking back. He hadn't cheated on the test, was ready to run out, he was a coward during the second test and hardly did anything to earn a scroll, goofed around during the preliminaries, and _gave up_ in the final round. He had no idea how he passed that...

An Uchiha child, and a stubborn Inuzuka, and the child of his teacher… Fate wouldn't let him have a normal life, would it? He wasn't sure about putting them up against those horrible odds. But they had grown. They had shown impeccable skill, especially recently. Even Yasashi, who was considerably the weakest of their group, had shown improvement.

He sighed. "If you guys are serious about it… I'll consider it."

Three shocked pairs of eyes snapped up to him. Black, red, and black. Shikamaru continued, "But if you're not… then taking the first exam, in the very least, won't kill you. I won't force you to do anything, but you can always quit if you're not sure. But all three of you need to say yes if I'm going to let you guys do this."

Hikaru's eyes darted to Hanako. "Han-"

"I'll think about it," Hanako interjected, cutting him off. "That's not a yes, and that is not a no."

Hikaru grinned. That was the best he would get out of her, for now. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, "Thank you, thank you, Hanako! You're the best teammate ever!"

"Shove off," Hanako smiled, trying to push the Uchiha off of her.

Yasashi smiled, too, as Shikamaru began their training for the day. He really did have the best team. He hugged Hanako from the other side, "Aw, I love you too, Hanako!"

Hanako rolled her eyes, "Okay, guys, we're done. Sensei, please tell them to let go."

Shikamaru watched the three of them for a second, shrugged, and joined in on the hug.

"Sensei. Seriously."

"Shut up and enjoy the hug, Hanako."

 **OoOoOoOoO**

 **KONOHAGAKURE, FIRE COUNTRY  
PRESENT  
VILLAGE GATES**

The village was booming considerably today. He could hear the voices of the children shrieking through the streets as they played, mothers scolding, salesmen shouting out their crazy prices and deals. He could hear the joyful mayhem from outside the colorful village. He had seen the world, but no place seemed as loud and bright as Konoha. Every village was bustling with life, but Konoha seemed even more so, and Uchiha Sasuke couldn't explain that. Maybe it was because, even with all of the troubles he experienced growing up, Konohagakure was his home, and he had planted his roots here, along with his family. He drifted often, but he could never call any other place home.

He hadn't been home in over a year, now, not counting that quick visit when he heard his son – Hikaru – was in the hospital about six months ago. Apparently he'd taken a blow for a teammate and ended up in the ICU, so Sasuke rushed to the village for a quick check-up on his first-born child. Hikaru had been passed out when he'd arrived, and still passed out when he left. The doctors assured Sasuke that yes, Hikaru would be fine within the week. He left after that. He tried to be home for birthdays, but it never happened. Time wouldn't allow it.

"Welcome home, Sasuke!"

Sasuke smirked. "Right on time, per usual."

A figure jumped down from on top the gates, landing with a dull thud to the ground, only feet away from Sasuke. The figure's cape flowed gently around him as he landed, the words 'SEVENTH HOKAGE' written in bright red kanji, flames adorning the hem of his cape. He grinned and stood up, his bright yellow hair practically glowing on top of his head. Whisker-like birthmarks moved with his grin and dimples. "Yo!"

"Do you always wait for me to come home like a dog?" Sasuke wondered, trying to not smirk.

Uzumaki Naruto pouted, glaring. "Do you always act like an ass, Teme?"

"Most of the time, yes. How's the village?" He really already knew the answer, and kept walking, Naruto keeping his pace as they entered the village. The people standing in at the check-in didn't bother to check for Sasuke's passport; he was with the Hokage, and that was better than any passport. Naruto had probably already checked him in, anyway.

"Hear it for yourself, dattebayo!" Naruto boasted, gesturing to the village. "Everything's been fine since you were last here. And I heard that your daughter got all A's on the last report card?"

"Which one?"

"Uh, Sarada. Sorry. You keep popping out kids, it's hard to keep track of them."

Sasuke scoffed. "Well, I expected that. Sarada's an over-achiever."

"Like her Uncle Naruto!"

"Like her father," Sasuke corrected, rolling his eyes. "How's your shrimps?"

Naruto waved at a couple working inside what looked to be a new bread shop. "Ah, they're good. Boruto's having some trouble in school, Himawari is my perfect angel, and Reiko will never date boys. So it's all good, dattebayo!"

"Trouble in school?" Sasuke asked, ignoring the last two statements. He shifted the bag on his back, the dead weight not a problem for him. He was tired, though.

Naruto nodded, in pride, "Just like his old man! Keeps playing pranks on his teacher. And he and his best friend, kid named Mitsuki, keep getting in trouble together. It's probably just a phase. I'm trying to you know, level with him? It's not really working though. I don't think he and Sarada are friends."

"Probably not. You and I weren't."

"Well, yeah, but we stopped all of that feuding stuff."

Sasuke didn't say anything for a moment. He did smile though, suddenly, and crouched on his knees. Naruto blinked, "What are you-"

"Daddy!" A shrill voice piped, and a head of pink hair bounded towards them. Naruto smiled and stepped to the side, letting Sasuke collect the little six-year old girl into his arms. She latched her arms around his neck, "Daddy's home!"

"Dad's home," Sasuke agreed, kissing the top of her head softly. He looked down at her, though, confused. "Shouldn't you be in school?"

"DAAAAD."

"FATHER!"

Two more small figures jumped through the crowd and up to Sasuke, this time followed by Haruno Sakura. She and Sasuke were married, yes, but she decided to keep her name. She was one of the Sanin, after all, and the best medic the village had to offer. She had a reputation to uphold.

Sasuke let the other two boys into his arms – Aito and Kaito. They'd grown so big since the last he'd seen them. He was surprised they even remembered him. The last he had seen of them was when they were three years old. They were so small, and hardly able to form sentences. He gave them hugs and set the three down, standing up.

Sakura smiled warmly, "Welcome home. Sorry, I let her skip today. They knew you were coming home… Hikaru is at training, and Sarada had a test today. But Akira didn't need to go, and these two don't get admitted for another year…" She moved forward and hugged Sasuke, and he returned it. They held together for a moment, and then another pair of arms wrapped around both of them…

"Naruto. What are you doing."

"Getting in on the hug," Naruto smiled.

"YOU IDIOT, NARUTO! GET OFF!" WHAM!

Naruto fell back, smacking into the pavement. "Ow! I just wanted to get part of the hug! I'm a part of this team, too!"

"You're not a part of our marriage, dumbass!"

"Sakura, it's fine," Sasuke spoke steadily, and Sakura smiled up at him. "I missed both of you. All of you," he corrected, his children still pawing at him. He leaned down and picked up Akira, setting her on his back, and then lifted one twin in each arm. Sakura kissed Sasuke's cheek as Naruto worked to stand up. Sakura may have aged, but her punches still felt like a thousand bricks….

Naruto rubbed the back of his head, "Well, you get on home, Sasuke. You can give me your mission report later."

"Hn," Sasuke merely replied, busy with becoming a human jungle gym.

Sakura turned to Naruto, "Are you and Hinata and the kids coming to our place for dinner?"

Naruto grinned, "Oh, yeah, totally, dattebayo! Hinata already said she'd make some food to bring!"

The pink-haired woman nodded, "Alright. See you then."

 **OoOoOoOoO**

 **KONOHAGAKURE, FIRE COUNTRY  
PRESENT DAY  
TRAINING GROUNDS**

"Good work today, you three," Shikamaru droned, having not moved from his spot leaning against the tree. In front of him stood three Genin, panting, sweating, dirt-covered, and scratched up. Today had, for the most part, had been sparring and training the new moves they had been working on, individually. Hikaru had still yet to perfect his newest jutsu he was trying out – the Chidori. His father had learned it from his teacher, and Hikaru himself was trying to tackle the job… the results, were, however, very upsetting. He could hardly create a spark. Shikamaru noted that he may not even have a lightning nature chakra. Just because Sasuke had it didn't necessarily mean he did. Hikaru, however, would not listen to reason. His chakra paper had crinkled, and that meant lightning nature… right? It only happened once in nine tries, but he had to have lightning chakra in him! Shikamaru had called it a fluke…

"Thaaaank you, Sensei!" Yasashi chimed. His jutsu was working perfectly fine. (According to the squirrel he had tested out on, which had suffered of a heart attack – or maybe a panic attack? In any case, Hanako beat the shit out of Yasashi after it happened for hurting the poor squirrel. It was still shivering in the corner of some roots, spooked.)

"Yes, Sensei, thank you," Hanako agreed, Kiiromaru perched on her shoulder as if he were a parrot. "I think I still need to work out some bugs, but that tip helped."

Shikamaru nodded. "Work on your direction. Your strength and stamina are well enough, but you won't do anyone any good if you miss your intended target."

"Right," Hanako nodded.

"And Hikaru," Shikamaru started. "Try and work on something else – a fire technique, yeah? It's too damn troublesome teaching you a technique you might not even be cut out for you yet. If you do have lightning based chakra, then it's dormant for the time being. Most ninja don't develop their second nature until later on… just wait it out."

Hikaru pursed his lips, not pleased with his answer. He crossed his arms stubbornly. Shikamaru sighed and scratched the back of his head. It always seemed like he never had the right answer for that kid. Hikaru seemed to go left, so Shikamaru gave him nice directions for the left path… then Hikaru would decide to take three rights in order to take that left. "Whatever," he sighed, and pushed off his tree. "That concludes training for today. You're free to gallivant in the village however you please."

Yasashi chuckled at that, and grinned at Shikamaru, "Can I come home with you today, Sensei? Mom's working late; and I wanna see how Momma Number 2 is doing!"

Shikamaru chuckled, "Sure, Yasashi. I'm sure Temari and the kids'd like to see you. You guys coming too?"

Hanako shook her head, "No. Dinner is on me tonight. I'm at my uncle's tonight."

"Ah. Tell Kiba I said hey."

"I will."

Shikamaru's eyes landed on Hikaru. Hikaru shrugged, "Nah, I've got… stuff."

His sensei nodded once. "Alright. I'll see you two here tomorrow, then."

"Right," they chorused.

 **OoOoOoOoO**

"Stuff?" Hanako wondered, once Shikamaru and Yasashi had left to go back to the Nara household. Hikaru offered to walk the Inuzuka girl home – well, not home, but her uncle's house. Her uncle was always a loud man, but a man that kept many secrets. Apparently after the war he had enlisted into the ANBU black ops, and was an active member for eleven years. He held a record for that. Most ANBU ended up… dead or incapacitated or scarred after five years. He was still very much an active shinobi, though, that much Hikaru knew. He was strong, and had many women from what he knew, but Hanako never seemed to detest him for it.

" _My uncle is an honest man from what he is able to tell me. Obviously he keeps secrets because of his service to the Ops, but he doesn't lie to me with whatever else he has. He tells me that he sleeps with women because he can't fall in love. He is honest with the women, too. He doesn't take them to bed when they're drunk or unable to give consent. He is kind to them. He doesn't date, that much I know. And while I don't agree with it, I appreciate his honesty. He's never once treated me as a child. He tells me things like it is… and I like him for that. My parents always lied to me when I was younger, from white lies to big lies, but my uncle didn't like that. He told me – in an age-friendly way, of course – what was going on, and that it wasn't my fault, like I had been led to believe. He's a very strong person in my life. I love him. He makes mistakes, like sleeping with too many women, but… I think I can understand that he's been through a lot, and that it's not easy for him to do things like fall in love."_

It was the longest speech Hikaru had heard from the girl. Hanako was a kunoichi of few words, in fact, if she could, she would speak with facial expressions. She was passionate about her uncle; he was a huge role in the person she became, a girl devoted to honesty and loyalty, like the very dogs the Inuzuka were. Her uncle helped her become strong. She was an honest girl with little to no secrets, pride, and confidence.

She lived with him when she could, away from her chaotic parents. When her uncle wasn't on missions or when he wasn't busy or this or that, she would stay with him. He lived in an apartment on the wrong side of the tracks, so usually someone would walk the Inuzuka and her pup home. She was strong enough to handle herself, but a young girl like herself shouldn't have to walk alone in a dangerous area.

Hikaru shrugged, "Yeah. I mean… I don't think I'm going to go home tonight…"

Hanako raised a brow, pulling off her bandanna-headband and ruffling her hair. Kiiromaru patted happily by her side. "Is it because your father is coming home?" Hikaru shrugged, kicking at the ground as they walked. "I see. How long is he staying?"

"From what I know? No idea. He always kind of just… comes and goes."

"You'll have to face him one day, you know."

"I know," he pouted. "I just… I don't know. It's hard sometimes with him because I don't know what he's thinking. I know he loves us… it just doesn't feel like it sometimes. He didn't even come to my Graduation Ceremony. He came the day or two after, yeah, but… I don't know. It just sucks."

Hanako nodded in understanding, snapping her fingers at Kiiromaru, who was sniffing at a discarded trash wrapper. Hanako picked up said wrapper and threw it in the nearby trashcan. "I get it. And I agree with you – you're his child. He should be there for you when you need him. However, I also know he can't just ignore his duties to the village."

"And I know that," Hikaru supplied helplessly, but his tone of voice gave it away that he didn't care what Sasuke was doing. "I just miss him. I feel like if I talk with him he'll just leave again. It pisses me off?"

"Does it piss you off?" She wondered.

"Yes?" He wondered back. "I don't know. I'm still not sure how to feel about it. Let's… talk about something else. Please."

Hanako nodded. "Okay. That's fine." She hummed, and asked, "So why the sudden interest in the Chuunin Exams?"

Hikaru didn't answer, a faraway look in his eye. He busied himself by looking across the street at a billboard that advertised a new computer system software. Hanako sighed inaudibly and kept his pace.

 **OoOoOoOoO**

 _ **KONOHAGAKURE, FIRE COUNTRY  
TEN YEARS AFTER THE END OF THE WAR  
JIRAIYA'S BRIDGE**_

 _It wasn't their last fight. In the next upcoming months of Hikaru and Takeshi's fight, they couldn't go near each other without battling it out. Most of the class were what you would call "buffer states", and made sure they didn't go near each other. They had never seen them fight, except for Koushiro who would rather forget, but they didn't want to._

 _That is, until rumors began to spread. Children went behind both Hikaru and Takeshi's backs, saying to Takeshi what horrible things Hikaru "said" about him, and vice versa to Hikaru. The two got so mad that they just randomly tackled each other at recess, resulting in a fight._

 _They were progressively worse after that. Kids got excited about the rivalry, and took sides (Hikaru had the majority). Bets were made on which one would get better grades, and which one would win their fights that were hosted every Friday at Jiraiya's Bridge. It became like a ritual of sorts, and they all enjoyed it._

 _Takeshi and Hikaru didn't try to stop any of the propaganda either. In fact, they encouraged it. For one reason or another, their bitterness toward one another grew. Hikaru's reason was fairly obvious, although no one really knew why Takeshi was spurring it on. Although considering the time since his change, no one really knew anything about him anymore._

 _In any case, every Friday afternoon at four o'clock, the two of them would meet at Jiraiya's Bridge. Today, on their fourth year, the two of them faced across each other, standing on a bridge that stretched over the Karakuri River – Takeshi to the South, and Hikaru to the North. The class sat on whatever side they were on, which meant that twenty-one kids were to the North, and Fukamura Chiharu sat to the South._

 _She was the only girl in the class who still didn't take to his new personality. She was too kind of a person to go along with everyone else, although no one thought she was socially bad. They understood she was far too accepting and fair to just take Hikaru's side, no matter what she thought of either one. Most believed that she felt bad for Takeshi's lack of fans._

 _Hikaru took a ready stance, while Takeshi stood with a kunai in his hand (they were now allowed these in their fourth year) rather unenthusiastically. He had a small black stud on his lower lip now, as well has two spider-bite studs on his left eyebrow. One of them was white, the other gray. Also he wore a hoop on the curve of his right ear, and on the other ear he had a rod sticking out, across to the hoop._

 _His newest edition to his little pierced collection, however, was a yellow star just below the rod. Now, he had six._

 _A boy on Hikaru's side smirked, "I see you have a new addition to your juvenile look, Nabari. What's the star for?"_

 _Takeshi didn't seem fazed to the untrained eye, but if you knew him well enough like this you could tell there was twinge of anger in his eyebrow. "It's for someone."_

 _Kagura rolled her eyes on the sidelines, jabbing her elbow into Koushiro lightly and gesturing to the other side where Chiharu sat. Koushiro shrugged._

 _The Uchiha didn't care – what Takeshi did to his face was his business. He got himself ready._

 _A boy by the name of Satoshi stood on the rim of the bridge at its midpoint. He held up a black and white flag – which is really the only reason he was referee was because he had a flag – and shouted, "ARE YOU READY!"_

 _Takeshi gave him an icy glare, "This isn't a stupid game. Just say "go" and be done with it."_

 _Satoshi sighed, muttering something about a lack of respect. He waved the flag lamely and said, "Okay, okay, first one to hit the water loses, go."_

 _Without hesitation, the two ran at each other, kunai raised. With a quick drop and slide, Hikaru went for Takeshi's knees, who jumped to avoid him. He tucked his head into his body and preformed a front-flip, bringing down his ankle on Hikaru._

 _The crowd cringed when it hit Hikaru on the shoulder. He cried out but didn't let it slow him down, so he grabbed Takeshi's ankle and tossed him over the rim of the bridge. He fell over but caught himself, flipping under the bridge and catching himself on the other side, thus pulling himself up by Satoshi._

 _Takeshi gave a triumphant grin, "Gonna have'ta work harder than that, Wonder Boy."_

 _The Uchiha clicked his tongue, "Call me that again and I won't have a problem kicking your ass."_

 _There was murmur of "oooo's" among the crowd – they were only in the fourth grade and "ass" was a word their mommies didn't want them to say._

" _Ha!" The Nabari laughed. "I don't think you could if you had help, Wonder Boy."_

 _Hikaru charged to the side of the bridge (Satoshi "eeped" and got out of the way) and threw a punch, but Takeshi jumped over him and landing on the platform._

" _Is that all you can do, Nabari? Jump out of my way?"_

 _Takeshi ran at him without another word, and they began close combat. Punches were thrown as they tried to knock one another off their feet by attempting to trip them out of their stances. They jumped and flipped and twirled out of harm's way, and in a certain angle it seemed like they were just preforming a dance._

 _Then, Hikaru swung his kunai forward, and there was a gasp in the crowd as Takeshi fell back, blood on his shoulder. Hikaru's eyes widened – he had gone too far._

 _The tip of the kunai extended out of Takeshi's shoulder blade – it had gone straight through his heart._

 _Takeshi fell back, blood falling out of his lips, and collapsing with a thud._

" _Ta….Takeshi?!" Hikaru shouted, alarmed, and knelt at his side. He hated him, but that didn't mean he wanted to kill him! The children stood, all placing their hands over their mouths. (Did Hikaru do what they just think he did?) Hikaru took the body into his arms, shaking the boy. "O-Oh god, what have I…"_

 _Poof._

 _A cloud of white smoke enveloped Takeshi, and like that, he disappeared without any trace except for a log in his place. Hikaru stared down at the wood, completely baffled. What just…_

" _HYAA!"_

 _Hikaru had no time to react when Takeshi suddenly came from under the bridge with a battle cry, shoving Hikaru off of the bridge. He fell into the water with a SPLASH._

" _Takeshi is the winner!" Satoshi announced, earning a loud eruption from the crowd – some cheering and some merely baffled, while some (namely Kagura) shouted about how unfair it had been._

 _Hikaru surfaced, coughing and sputtering. "Takeshi? But, what did you-"_

" _It's called Substitution no Jutsu, id~i~ot~." The boy sang, looking down at Hikaru from the bridge. "But still, nice to know you care so much!" Sarcasm was dripping feverishly in his undertone._

 _The Uchiha's face flushed red. How did he expect Takeshi to have already mastered it? They hadn't gone over it in class yet!_

" _You- that's cheating!"_

 _Takeshi shrugged, jumping away from the edge and heading south._

" _All's fair in love and war!"_

 **OoOoOoOoO**

 **KONOHAGAKURE, FIRE COUNTRY  
PRESENT DAY  
INUZUKA KIBA'S APARTMENT COMPLEX**

"Thank you for walking me home, Hikaru," Hanako said, cracking a small smile, holding up her fist.

Hikaru was still pouting from their conversation earlier, having never answered Hanako's question. He lifted his eyes at her, and finally cracked a smile.

He lifted his fist and bumped it against hers, the bones of their knuckles making a dull sound, the sound of skin slapping against skin. They both smirked, chuckling.

"Hey, Hanako," Hikaru started. "I know that you don't think we're ready for the Chuunin Exams. And I can get that, but… can we at least try? I can protect you and Yasashi, if worse comes to worse, and you two can always back out if you don't think you can continue in the exam. It's just… there's something I need to prove, and I need you to tell Sensei that you're willing to try." His eyes were hard, determined, glowing like black fire.

Hanako crossed her arms, thinking for a moment. She closed her eyes.

"I know you have nothing to go on. I know we're not strong… but I need this, Hanako."

"I heard you the first time," she said softly, not snapping at him. She opened her eyes, looking at him. "On one condition."

Hope brimmed in his face. "Yeah?"

"If you have the slightest idea that you could get killed, you will walk away from a fight. You're my best friend, and I know you, Hikaru. You never give up during fights. But I need you to, if you're going to attempt this test. I don't want you – or Yasashi – to get hurt."

Her voice was resolute. Hikaru didn't even need to think it over. He nodded once, seriously. "I promise. If I don't think I can take an opponent, or that my opponent will kill me I… I'll walk away. Or I'll find a way to get out of the fight. I promise."

Hanako cracked a smile that finally reached her eyes. She nodded and held up her hand. He slapped it into a firm handshake.

"Thanks, Hanako. You're a lifesaver."

She shrugged, "I know. I try."

"Cocky bitch."

"Cocky bastard."

The two friends laughed, slapping their hands together again, and Hikaru watched Hanako and Kiiromaru walk into the apartment complex. His smile, bright and cheerful a moment ago, turned sour, and he looked to the ground in shame. He kicked at a rock and swore under his breath, and began to walk back the way he came. It was time to face the music.

 **OoOoOoOoO**

 _ **KONOHAGAKURE, FIRE COUNTRY  
TEN YEARS AFTER THE END OF THE WAR  
UCHIHA HOUSEHOLD**_

 _Hikaru had been holding back during the last fight on Jiraiya's Bridge._

 _It wasn't on purpose, obviously, but he went home that day, and felt guilty for some reason. But what should he feel guilty about? Takeshi had shoved him in the river, Takeshi had been a jerk, he had… well, he didn't cheat, but still. Takeshi had been to blame for his bad day, so why did he feel bad?_

 _He didn't sleep, he paced; but the more he walked, the worse he felt. Why in Shodai's sake did he feel so- so!_

" _Ugh!" He suddenly cried out, not really caring if his little siblings were asleep or not. He jumped back down onto his bed, growling and throwing a pillow over his face._

 _How could his best friend, his leader – how could he turn into a jerk? "All's fair in love and war!" Hikaru suddenly shouted. "All's fair in love and war my BUTT! Who does he think he is that- that- that UGH!" He picked up something – a cup or something glass on his nightstand; he wouldn't know, he wasn't looking – and chucked it at the mirror._

 _The glass shattered and screamed – its bloody cry rang through his room, shrieking in Hikaru's ear. Its body fell to the floor with a sickening silence that Hikaru didn't want to listen to. His breaths were raspy as he stared into what was left of the mirror, hanging onto its wooden frame for life. His own reflection was distorted and broken, but a flash of red caught his eyes._

 _There was voice in the hallway – most likely his mother – but he wouldn't listen to it. He traced one of his fingers on his bottom eye lid, wondering if his eye had bled from the broken looking glass. When he felt hot liquid, he was alarmed, but when he pulled his hand away, it wasn't red. They were tears._

 _The old Takeshi Hikaru once knew washed down the river, the shoestring snapped, and suddenly, the new Takeshi was the only one Hikaru knew. There was no "friendship" or "past" with Takeshi, and now, there was only a future between them._

 _A smile crept up to Hikaru's lips – Takeshi would regret those words._

" _All's fair in love and war, huh?"_

 **OoOoOoOoO**

 **A/N:** AND THAT'S THE END TO THE PROLOGUE FOLKS! Hah! (A lot better than the Gaiden, right? Hah.) There are a lot of changes here, obviously. It only took what, 26 pages to get all of this down? Oh, geez. Still, I am liking this a lot more. I feel like there's more depth to the characters this time around. I like how I'm not introducing, like, ten characters per chapter. OKAY! Also, there is a timeline on my profile for this story – in the very least, it will be posted within the next couple of days. It will show the years in which children of the original cast were born, and their names, and parents… Also, does having the time before the scene help you all? Like how I put the village, time, and specific location in bold before I begin a section? I'm not sure if that makes it easier or harder… Perhaps with the timeline it will make more sense… In any case! Was it good? Bad? Leave it in a review, and thank you for reading! I hope you all enjoyed!


	2. Chapter 1

**NARUTO: Sekai Ni Hi O Tsuketa  
Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto nor any of it's characters.

 **A/N:** Welcome back! I changed some things last chapter near the end, I basically cut out a scene. But otherwise nothing changed.

 **OoOoOoOoO**

 **Chapter One  
"**New Life **"**

 **OoOoOoOoO**

 **KONOHAGAKURE, FIRE COUNTRY  
PRESENT DAY  
UCHIHA HOUSEHOLD**

The house was roaring with life; and Hikaru could tell before even stepping inside. The lights were on, all of them, and music was humming from within. Hikaru walked up the steps and up to the door. He could hear laughter and giggling from inside. He chuckled after hearing a familiar, boastful laugh. Of course the Hokage would be here. Lady Hinata was probably here, too, and Kakashi-sama…

Hikaru pushed the sliding door open and smiled at the sight of _so many shoes._ They were all shoved off to the side in a pile, only a couple of pairs nicely pressed together. He saw Sarada's shoes pushed apart from the others, probably so she could find them easily in the morning. Akira's, Aito's, and Kaito's shoes must be somewhere from within that pile.

And then, he saw, a large pair of men's standard shinobi footwear, worn and covered in dirt. Unfamiliar shoes.

He took a deep breath and slid his own shoes off, tossing them into the pile. It was almost seven o'clock. After seeing Takeshi for the first time in… shit, a year, he had wandered for a while, thinking. He had to beat Takeshi and end this whole… thing. But what did Takeshi mean when he said he had 'bigger and better things to do?' It didn't sit well in Hikaru's stomach.

Sakura would be furious with him for being late.

"I'm home," he called, knowing he wouldn't be heard amid all of the laughter and children running and playing in the house. He started toward the kitchen in his bare feet, sliding off his blue jacket and tossing it over the coat rack. Naruto's Hokage cape hung there, along with the scarf he always wore.

Hikaru slipped down the hall and poked his head into the kitchen, which seemed to be the room bursting with life. Immediately he locked eyes with Naruto's bright blue eyes.

"AH! There's my favorite nephew, dattebayo!"

"You're late, Hikaru," Sakura snapped from where she and Lady Hinata were at the table, both working on what looked like riceballs. Naruto sat with them, a little girl with his blonde hair and his wife's vacant eyes sitting on his knee. Four-year old Uzumaki Reiko was sucking on a tomato skin, looking quite content where she was with her father. Five year old Himawari was sitting in the living room, chatting and playing dolls with Akira, who seemed just as interested. And the eldest of the Uzumaki children, Boruto, sat on the couch in the living room, looking bored out of his mind. Sarada was seated on the opposite end of the couch, looking equally as bored. Aito and Kaito were… somewhere, probably in the backyard.

And on the other side of Naruto, Sasuke lifted his eyes, meeting Hikaru's.

Hikaru shrugged, stepping in, immediately staring at the ceiling. "Sorry. Training ran late and I had to walk Hanako home. Hey."

Sasuke nodded, "Hey." It looked like he wanted to stand up and hug his son, but Hikaru was refusing to make direct eye contact with him.

Lady Hinata smiled, as if ignoring (or just being oblivious) to the tense air, "Hello, Hikaru. Want to come help us make rice balls for dinner?"

"Um…" Hikaru started, unsure.

Naruto waved him over, "Come on, Hikaru! Haven't seen you in a while!"

The eldest Uchiha child cracked a smile, nodding. It wouldn't be bad, right? His uncle Naruto was here, nothing could go too wrong. "Uh, yeah, alright…" He took a seat next to Naruto and across from Lady Hinata, smiling at Reiko. "Hey, Rei. Wanna come see cousin Hikaru?"

"Unn," Reiko whined, hanging onto Naruto and pouting. Hikaru pouted, too, feeling immensely awkward because of his father, and now shunned by the four-year old.

"Sorry about her," Naruto laughed. "She's been going through a phase where she doesn't like being separated from me. Can't help that, though! I mean, I am pretty awesome. Right, Rei-chan?" He nuzzled her cheek with his own and the little girl squealed out a giggle. The smiles around the tables grew from the small girl.

Sakura scoffed, "You're her father. Of course she's clingy. All children are clingy toward a parent at some point – it doesn't mean you're 'awesome.'"

"You have something against me today or somethin', Sakura-chan?" Naruto pouted.

"What do you mean by that?" Sakura wondered.

"First I can't hug Sasuke, and this now, and before you wouldn't let me bring any ramen for dinner, dattebayo!"

"You have ramen every night, basically! Change it up a little!"

"Sakura-chan-!"

"We're having a nice, home cooked dinner, Naruto-kun," Lady Hinata spoke quietly, smiling as she packed a riceball together in the shape of a triangle. Hikaru stood to wash his hands in the sink to help them out with that; it seemed they had quite a few to make with all of the kids in the house. "We can have Ichiraku for tomorrow, okay?"

Naruto pouted, "Ah, I guess, tebayo…" Reiko pat Naruto's knee. "Hn? What is it, Rei-chan?" Reiko leaned up and whispered something into his ear, and the taller man nodded. "Ah, alright. Hold on, little girl needs to use the bathroom." He set Reiko to the floor and held her hand, beginning to walk toward the hallway.

"Can't she go on her own?" Sasuke wondered, startling Hikaru because the man had been so quiet.

Hinata smiled. "She can at home, but when we're anywhere else she won't go into a bathroom alone. It might be that she just doesn't like to be away from us, we're not very sure. Boruto and Himawari are more like Naruto-kun; they like to be more independent in what they do. Reiko… she's a lot like me," Hinata chuckled nervously. "She doesn't have that confidence like Naruto-kun does…"

Sakura snorted. "If only one of our kids were like that. They _all_ got your pride, Sasuke, and if I try to help them or baby them, they'll just get angry."

Sasuke shrugged with a smirk, looking over his son, who would still not look him in the eye. "They got your pride, too, Sakura."

"My pride isn't as bad as yours," she noted.

Sasuke only snorted at that, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with her.

Hikaru sat back down, having washed his hands, and dug out a handful of rice from the bowl. "In our defense," Hikaru started, directing his voice at Sakura. "You baby us too much. You still cut the crusts off of my sandwiches even though I've told you a million times that I like the crust now."

The pink-haired woman groaned, "Oh, my god, that's not a thing, Hikaru. The other four don't like the crust, and if I'm making five lunches, I just fall into a rhythm and forget!" Hinata giggled at that.

"I'm going to be a Chuunin, mom, sooner or later, I can make my own lunches," Hikaru grinned, packing meat and vegetables into the rice ball.

"Oh, a Chuunin?" Sakura countered, smirking. "Since when are you even going up for the exams?"

"Next week," he merely replied.

The table went quiet, between the four of them. All three adults stared at Hikaru, Sakura's eyes wide in shock. "W-wait, what?" She stammered, and Sasuke only watched his son in mild shock, although you would never be able to read that from his passive facial expression. "Who gave you permission? You're too young for a test like that!"

"I'm twelve," Hikaru deadpanned, focusing on the food in his hands. The rice stuck to his skin and wouldn't pack right. "You were that old when you took the exam. And Sensei said we've been getting stronger, and that if we were all okay with going-"

"Absolutely out of the question." Oh, no, the 'mom' voice.

Hinata glanced between the three nervously. It wasn't her place to speak, after all, no matter what she thought…

"Mom!" Hikaru argued. "That's not fair! I'm ready-"

"Hikaru," Sasuke started, his voice level.

Hikaru whipped his head to look at his father, meeting eyes for the first time. He lost his temper, suddenly, and shouted, "You're not in this! You have to be a full-time parent to have a say in this!"

You could have heard a pin drop. The children in the house had gone quiet. The Uchiha twins now stood by Himawari and Akira, staring at the scene. Boruto and Sarada were also staring from their place on the couch. Hikaru froze. He hadn't meant to make a scene in front of his siblings…

He grit his teeth and looked down at his hands that had slammed against the surface of the table. Guilt was building in his throat, humility burning in his chest. He snapped his eyes shut, as if that would make what he said go away.

"Hikaru, let's go talk," Sasuke spoke. "Everyone else enjoy the party. Including you, Sakura." The head of the Uchiha family stood, taking Hikaru by the shoulder. Knowing he had done enough to cause a scene, Hikaru let himself be led away by his father.

The door closed behind them.

 **OoOoOoOoO**

 **KONOHAGAKURE, FIRE COUNTRY  
PRESENT DAY  
UCHIHA SHRINE**

If there was anything Hikaru knew, it was that he knew little about his father. When he was younger, Sasuke used to be around often, used to put him down to sleep in a home Hikaru couldn't remember. They used to play often together, and Hikaru loved him very, very much. And then, around the time Sarada was born Sasuke just… stopping coming around as often. He went on more missions, had many other things to do...

He grew apart from Sasuke. Many other people had many million things to say about Sasuke – both good and bad – but as he grew up he realized just how much a stranger his own father was to him. He hated thinking like that, he really did, because Sasuke did love him and he did love his father; that was all that really matter in the end, right?

They were sitting on the porch on the other side of the house, overlooking their koi pond. The boards squeaked under Hikaru's weight as they sat. The house was built nearly fifty years ago, and was left alone for a long time. His father had grown up in this house; this house had survived a massacre.

Sasuke hadn't said anything yet; Hikaru gripped his knees and stared long and hard at the orange koi that swam beneath the surface. The irrigation bamboo slapped against the rock beneath, dropped its contents, and raised again.

"I'm sorry," Hikaru muttered, sighing. "I shouldn't have yelled like that. I was just…"

Sasuke cut him off, "You don't need to apologize. I think you're ready for that exam. From what I've been told, you've been excelling in all of your missions and your training. You've become a fine shinobi."

The eldest Uchiha child blushed at the compliment. His father really thought that? "Oh, thank you."

Sasuke did not tear his eyes away from the wall across from them, Uchiha fans painted across it at intervals. The same symbol was on the back of Hikaru's jacket. Sasuke nodded once, mutely, and reached into the coat he wore. "I should have given you this back when you had become a Genin, but I forgot it. Here," he said.

A gift was a fine way to ignore the real problem here, but Hikaru nodded and took the gift, nonetheless. It was a black box, a thin rectangle. Hikaru slipped the box open, in curiosity. A thin black cord and three marble rings stared back at him, all three black as night. He hesitantly picked up the necklace. "Um, thank you?" he wondered. It was old, faded.

"It was my brother's; your uncle Itachi's," Sasuke explained, his eyes closed. "I don't know where he got it, but he wore it for years. It was a keepsake of his…" Sasuke sounded unsure. Hikaru didn't really know anything about his uncle, either. His picture was in the family room with candles in a small memorial. He always looked so nice with the smile in the picture. Hikaru knew that he made many, many sacrifices in his lifetime so that his dad would be happy. He never really knew _what,_ though.

"Oh," Hikaru said, looking it over.

"You look a lot like him. You act like him, too."

"Oh…" How was he supposed to react to that?

Sasuke sighed, leaning forward on his elbows. "I'm sorry," he muttered, and Hikaru had the urge to laugh because the word 'PRIDE' could have been well-written on Sasuke's forehead. "I'm not good at… this." He gestured to Hikaru. "I wish I could be around more often…" He sighed and turned to Hikaru, his one visible black eye boring into his child. "My brother was very important to me, and you are too. All of you kids are… I'm sorry all I can give you is his old necklace, but…"

Hikaru shook his head, smiling and putting on the necklace. He had overreacted. His dad really cared… "No, dad, it's perfect. I'm sorry… I shouldn't have yelled. You have a lot to do for the village, and… I get that."

Sasuke stared at his son for a long moment, his black eye trained on Hikaru. He sighed and sat back. "So, the Chuunin Exams?"

Hikaru grinned, "Yeah. But don't worry. I promise I'll come back just fine, and in a Chuunin vest."

Sasuke scoffed. "Oh, I'm sure you will."

Hikaru sat back against the post behind him, facing his father. When he was younger, he used to sit in his father's lap and they would blow bubbles or light sparklers over the pond. Sasuke never said much, but Hikaru would babble toddler talk for hours on end, giggling at the bubbles and pulling at Sasuke's hair. Hikaru felt warmed by the memory, somehow. His father had been there, and he would continue to be there. Not always, but…

"I'll convince Sakura into letting you go," Sasuke suddenly said.

Hikaru bit his nail, "Huh? Oh, yeah, what was up with her? She's usually pretty cool with things that I do…"

Sasuke shrugged mutely. And then, "Her experiences the first time she took the exam are nothing good. Our experiences, actually, I should say…" He narrowed his eyes in thought. "She's just placing you in the circumstances we had been in, and her thought process isn't friendly. Sakura will come around."

The genin nodded. "Alright, I guess… thanks, dad."

"Hn," Sasuke hummed. Hikaru sighed and closed his eyes, leaning back. The cool marble necklace stung his collarbone.

 **OoOoOoOoO**

Hikaru lie in bed that night, eyes closed as if he were asleep, his ears trying to pick up on any sounds. Lady Hinata had left hours ago, along with Boruto, Himawari, and little Reiko, who had fallen asleep long before they left. Naruto had stayed to reminisce with his parents, apparently. With the children asleep, the adults were downstairs, probably drinking. Hikaru was dying to go downstairs and be a part of their talks. He wanted to hear what his father had been doing for so long, why his missions seemed to get longer and longer as the years went by.

The boy finally huffed and opened his eyes. He couldn't hear a damn thing from up here. And the three downstairs were Sanin… They would be able to detect his movements immediately. Hell, they probably already knew his eyes were open. They probably knew he wasn't asleep! He huffed and turned onto his side. Four faces stared at him on the nightstand.

His sensei, ever bored and calculating, stood behind his three students, smiling lazily. That day he hadn't worn his flak jacket, instead a long-sleeved black shirt with the fire symbol on his left shoulder.

Yasashi, standing in between his two teammates, grinning ear to ear, and hands folded behind his back. He'd been so happy that day. He'd kept screaming, "I HAVE A TEAM, I HAVE A TEAM!" like some kind of maniac. He was probably happy to be taught by the man who was practically his father, too.

Hanako's dark eyes stared at the camera, a small smile on her cheeks, but not one that quite reached her eyes. She never liked pictures. She felt awkward taking them. Kiiromaru was cradled in her arms, smiling with his tongue out, staring at anywhere but the camera.

Then, there was him. His hair was a little longer now than it was a year ago. He wasn't smiling in the picture. He didn't know Hanako, nor Yasashi, nor Shikamaru at the time. He'd graduated a year early, and had felt… out of place without the people he had been raised alongside. He wished he had smiled in that picture, just for the hell of it, because he should have smiled. Hanako and Yasashi – and his sensei, too! – were family to him, and at the time he hadn't cared about them.

He sure as hell cared about them now. Almost as much as he cared about his siblings.

His gaze shifted from the picture to his headband, which sat nicely folded on his nightstand. And next to that… his uncle's necklace.

Now propped on his elbows, Hikaru lifted the delicate necklace into his hands, staring at the thin cord. It would need a new one soon, no doubt, since he would be wearing it on missions. It was for good luck to wear this, an heirloom of the family. His uncle… He wondered what Itachi was like? A saint? That's how he had always been described, but there were so many things about him Hikaru didn't know.

This necklace represented his uncle and all the things Hikaru had heard about him: someone resourceful, smart, caring, proud, selfless… Could Hikaru really be all of those things? It was certainly expected of him as the next head of the family; he had to bring light to the Uchiha, even if it took the rest of his life to prove. No one cared about what they were now… back then, the Uchiha had done wrong, but Hikaru would make it right.

He gripped the necklace and nodded to himself. He had been named for a reason. Hikaru… it meant 'light.'

He set the necklace down and tried to get some sleep.

To no avail, of course.

 **OoOoOoOoO**

Finally, Hikaru could take no more, and crept quietly out of the room. He remembered his training, concealed his chakra, and left through the window, his feet softly pressing against the dirt. He slowly crept around the house, staying low to the ground. He knelt beneath the kitchen window, trying to listen. The window was closed, but thin. Muffled noises came from within. He concentrated, trying to make words, until he could vaguely make it out.

"Do you think?" His mother's voice questioned.

A soft hum, or maybe a word of conformation. "There's no doubt. He is still alive."

"Leave it to him to get out of that war alive," came a grumble; Naruto.

"We all knew this was coming," another voice spoke evenly. Hikaru recognized Kakashi's voice. He had arrived about twenty minutes after Hikaru and Sasuke rejoined the party earlier. "He's gotten stronger. He's crawled out of whatever pit he has been in, and I doubt he's going to live like that forever."

"So what action do we take?" Sakura wondered. "Do you think he would still be after you, Sasuke?"

"He wouldn't be that stupid, right?" Naruto offered, and Hikaru's eyes widened when he saw Naruto lean against the sink, which was right below the window on the other side. The boy froze. One move and Naruto would know.

"No," he heard Sasuke murmur. Hikaru felt stiff, but listened intently. "He knows he can't defeat me. He'll try, I'm sure… but… There are more vessels for him, now." He seemed reluctant to say it, hurt. His father also sounded regretful, or angry? Hikaru wasn't sure.

Sakura's voice was cold. "If he even tries anything, I'll rip that snake's tongue out."

Naruto nodded in agreement, face serious. "I won't let anything happen to you or your kids."

Or the kids? What did that mean? What did this… _snake_ want from them? What did he want from Sasuke? What did his father mean by 'vessel?'

"I'm perfectly able to protect my children on my own, Naruto," Sakura interjected. "I just… Hikaru said he's taking the Chuunin Exams." Naruto's eyes flickered to Hikaru and the young Uchiha flinched. Naruto regarded him, but didn't give him away. Did he know Hikaru was listening? "He'll have to leave the village for that."

"He'll have Shikamaru with him," Naruto supplied, sounding helpful. "Shikamaru is trusted, and he's killed an immortal man before. He could do it again."

Sakura sighed. "That doesn't matter. Shikamaru isn't…" A pause. "Maybe we should have this conversation another time."

Hikaru immediately retracted from his place under the window, dashing back as quietly as he could around the house. He'd been caught, he was sure. His mother's tone was all too-knowing. He nearly swore jumping back up into his window, fumbling on the window sill and falling face first into his mattress. He quickly shoved himself up and dove under the covers, slamming his face against the pillow.

Shit. The window.

He clambered up and grasped the window, fast, slamming it back down and diving back under the covers. He screwed his eyes shut, heart pounding in his ears. The blanket was clenched in his fist. This felt like the time he had tried to sneak out when he was little, and his mother had nearly caught him. He remembered not actually ever trying to sneak out after that…

His door creaked and cracked open. Hikaru relaxed his body, keeping still under the covers. "Hikaru?" his mother wondered, whispering. And then a moment later, after her quiet pondering, the door shut. Hikaru opened his eyes and turned to lie on his back. He felt like a child who had been caught with their hand in the cookie jar. Idiot, idiot…

The boy closed his eyes.

 **OoOoOoOoO**

 **SUNAGAKURE, WIND COUNTRY  
PRESENT DAY  
CITY STREETS**

"K-Kago-sempai, it's too late for this! Where are we going?"

The girl's voice is whispered, hushed. The city streets are alive at this time at night, or rather, the red light district is. It's almost two in the morning, and the moon is high in the sky. Two girls head towards the village gates, and the walls that keep Sunagakure safe, and hidden.

Sabaku no Kago – daughter to the Godaime Kazekage, Sabaku no Gaara – had the wrist of a local girl, with dark chocolate hair pulled in a long ponytail. She had black eyes and long bangs that covered them, and she was not remarkable in the slightest. She was not a ninja; she had too many medical issues as a child to be admitted into the academy, and even now, she was not physically well. Her name was Ryoko.

Kago was beautiful, in comparison to the other girl. She had her father's red hair and his spindrift eyes, one earring on her lobe. She had both ears pierced once, but the left one had fallen out and the hole had closed up before she had realized it. Kago was not a girl to pay attention to detail, unless it pertained to her beautiful 'masterpieces.' Her hair was long and thrown back into a long ponytail that drifted behind her like a kite or a banner. She wore a jumper that accentuated her curves (she was thirteen but busty already). Two belts crisscrossed at the waist, holding her many weapons and poisons and scrolls.

Kago grinned back at Ryoko. "Somewhere cool, you'll see!"

"But-"

"Ah, shut up and come on!"

She led Ryoko around buildings and corners, until they were reaching the corners of town, the less populated areas. Ryoko was more than a little concerned… but Kago had never really let her down before, so…

They stopped suddenly, and Kago whirled around, grinning. She took Ryoko and pushed her, so that there was a door behind her and Kago in front of her. No escape. "Ryoko," she started, taking the other girl's wrists in both hands.

"K-Kago-sempai?" Ryoko blurted, her face a rising pink color.

"Remember when I told you, that I had something important to tell you?" Kago asked, going from holding Ryoko's wrists to her hands. "Well, I wanted to tell you now. It's pretty important," she grinned, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. "My brother and I were talking, you see, and…" Kago's cheeks turned pink.

This made Ryoko turn red. No, no… Giroro couldn't have told Kago about Ryoko's feelings! Those were private! It was no secret she had a crush on Kago, her senior, her sempai… but everyone BUT Kago knew! And it was supposed to stay that way! She confided in Giroro, Kago's twin, thinking he would just listen and hear her out… but she didn't want him to tell Kago! She gulped, her hands shaking in Kago's. This was a pretty romantic setting… surely, Kago was going to confess? Maybe they would be together… _No, no, don't get your hopes up. It would be so amazing though, if Kago-sempai…._

"I… I know it's something you've wanted for a while, yeah? God, I don't know why I'm so nervous. It's not even that hard to say. I just know you look up to me and stuff and I want you to be happy, Ryoko." Kago grinned, her perfect white teeth shining.

 _OH, my gosh, it's a confession! Kago-sempai!_ Ryoko felt like rushing forward and kissing Kago hard on the mouth. She refrained. "T-thank you, sempai," she stammered.

Kago chuckled. "Don't thank me yet. Just, Ryoko, I want to know this is something you really want…"

She didn't even have to think about it. "Y-yes, of course it's something I want, Kago-sempai! I really admire you, and I look up to you, and you're…" She blushed and looked down at her feet. "This is something I want, yes…"

The other girl's face grew warm, her green eyes shining. "Good. Then…" she leaned forward, and Ryoko leaned forward, too…

Only for Kago to open the door right behind Ryoko, and she spun the weak girl around. "Welcome to your new workspace!"

Ryoko blinked. "H-huh?"

Kago pushed her into the building – and then turned on a light. The dark room suddenly became a greenhouse, with empty shelves lined all around. There were many pots in the corner of the room, as well as bags of fertilizer. Ryoko blinked. "…Huh?"

"Isn't it great?!" Kago beamed. "It's got water hooked up to it and everything! Of course it's limited, we're in Suna, after all… but here's your own greenhouse! Giroro was telling me that you were feeling a little useless and left behind. You know, since we're all going to the Chuunin exams and you can't because. You know. You're not a ninja. And then he was saying how you wanted to help me, and us… so I thought of this! You love plants, a lot, I know…" Kago blushed and scratched the back of her head. "I had my dad pull some strings. So you can have your own greenhouse. This way you can make my poisons and antidotes for me, and for the others, too! And you can help out the hospitals with making medicine, that way… you know, you won't be left behind. Oh! And this, too!"

Kago sprinted over to the side of the room where all of the supplies were. She picked up a whole stack of books. "These are some guides to herbs and stuff you can make with them. There are two books on poisons and antidotes, and we have all of the seeds here for you to start growing!" She dropped the books against the ground. "That way the greenhouse can protect your plants! I know you grow some at home, but they die pretty quickly, yeah? And… huh? Ryoko? You okay?"

Ryoko was numb. She felt like she got hit with a stupid rock. Of course Kago-sempai wasn't confessing…. Idiot, idiot, idiot! She sighed… it was still really nice of Kago, though, to go and do all of this, just for her. She cracked a warm, genuine smile. "Kago-sempai… this is wonderful. Thank you… I promise to be of use to all of you!"

Kago grinned. "That's what I like to hear, Ryoko!" She slapped a hand on Ryoko's shoulder. "You're an amazing friend! This is the least I can do for you."

 _No, Kago-sempai, you've done enough. You've made me so happy…_ "T-thank you," she stammered again, pulling at the hem of her shirt.

Kago leaned forward and pulled the shorter girl into a hug.

"And don't worry. We'll all come back safe, I promise."

Ryoko nodded furiously into Kago's shoulder.

 _Sempai is hugging me!_

 **OoOoOoOoO**

 **KONOHAGAKURE, FIRE COUNTRY  
TRAINING GROUNDS  
FOLLOWING MORNING**

"Sensei had his baby last night?!"

He was late to training today, much later than he should have been. He slept in, and halfway to the grounds he realized he wasn't wearing the necklace his father had given him.

So he ran the whole way back, and then ran the whole way to the grounds. Upon arriving, only Hanako was present, which was strange because he was so late. But then she explained that Yasashi and Shikamaru were both at the hospital right now. Upon asking why, well…

"No, she's probably having it now," Hanako replied. "They told me to come, too, but I figured that someone should wait for you and tell you."

Hikaru sighed and ran a hand back through his hair. "Well, at least I'm not late, then."

"That you are not."

The Uchiha eldest snickered and sighed, and Hanako pushed herself away from the tree, beginning to walk towards the village, probably to the hospital. She snapped her fingers and Kiiromaru followed, and Hikaru matched her pace. "So, what do you think the baby's going to be?"

"Boy," she said, resolutely. "Temari and I talked a week or so ago, and she said she feels like it'll be a boy."

"How can you _feel_ something like that?"

"Woman's intuition."

"That's not an answer," he retorted.

She shrugged. "If listening to your gut feeling is an answer, then so is that."

Hikaru puffed his cheeks out. On their second C-Rank, they had a choice. Deal with one enemy then and another later, or retreat. Yasashi said they should retreat, said he had a 'gut feeling' that fighting that man was not a good idea. Hikaru said otherwise, that they could take down the enemy's numbers… and ended up in this hospital after a gruesome fight. Since then, Hanako was very trusting of Yasashi's 'gut feelings.'

"We still dwindled their numbers," Hikaru spat.

"No, sensei dwindled their numbers, after saving our lives. YOUR life, to be precise."

"Whatever…"

It was quite a walk to the hospital, but not dreadfully long. It was filled with Hanako and Hikaru's mindless chatter, and bickering. Once they reached the hospital they walked up to the third floor, where all of the newborns were delivered. It wasn't hard to know where Temari's room was; they could hear her screaming at Shikamaru to "get the fuck away or I'll rip your throat out and shove it up your-" and then Hikaru blocked out the last word because for the love of Kages…

Akimichi Chouji, Yuhi Kurenai, Yasashi, and the two elder Nara children, Shikadai and Amari, sat in the waiting room. Shikadai was about Boruto and Sarada's age, about seven years old. He was a copy of his father, in personality and demeanor, save for his mother's eyes and pride he acquired from her. He was looking rather bored as his little sister held two dolls in her hand, making them chat happily to one another. Amari was a different child, all her own. She was very unlike both her parents in the manner that she was casually optimistic about everything, and ignorant of the world around her. She looked very much as an active portrayal of Temari, except her eye color was dark in color, and her nose and cheeks were his. Her smile, though, that was Temari's. She was commonly seen in little dresses and had her hair up in pigtails. She smiled upon seeing Kiiromaru.

"Kiiro!" She grinned, jumping up from the uncomfortable sofa cushions and padding over, where Hanako set the pup down with a motherly smile. Kiiromaru yipped happily.

Yasashi stood, grinning, "Hey! You finally made it. Momma number 2 is delivering right now!"

Hikaru smiled, waving at Chouji, who smiled with a large nod. Kurenai gave him a polite smile and turned back to the book in her lap. She was a wonderful, lovely woman, even at her time and age. There were wrinkles at her eyes and there were gray hairs mixed in with her black ringlets from years of raising a child. She had officially resigned from being a kunoichi when Yasashi was a toddler. She said she could not bear if he were to lose another parent to the shinobi world. He would need his mother, she said resolutely, so she stayed in the village, safe under the Hokage's reign.

They both sat, and Hanako spoke, "We heard from all the way down the hall. Things are going alright, yeah?"

Chouji nodded, "Mm! Ino is in there with them helping deliver. With her in there, there's nothing to worry about."

Kurenai flipped a page of her book, "There seems that there wasn't anything to worry about on the way here, and this is her third child. They both know what to do." Hikaru and Hanako nodded – of course, they knew everything would be alright.

Shikadai let out a puff of air, "It's boring here. When are we allowed to go?"

"We gotta stay for our little sibling!" Amari interjected, holding Kiiromaru in her arms. Even though he was a relatively small dog (at the very least, small enough to sit on Hanako's shoulder comfortably), he was still much too big in the little girl's arms. "Now I'm not gonna be the little one!"

Chouji laughed, ruffling the girl's head with his large hand. "That's right! Now you'll have to be a responsible girl and take care of your little brother or sister!"

Amari grinned, "I can do it!"

Shikadai sighed dramatically and threw his head back, muttering something about how he was wishing that he were at school. For once.

Hikaru sat back against his chair, sighing inaudibly. He wasn't expecting for sensei to have his baby today. It seemed like Temari would never have the child, but now there would be another Nara child. He wondered what being a parent felt like. He wondered how Shikamaru felt about his children. He wondered how his father felt about his children. And he wondered how a parent would feel if… a snake were trying to take them…

Yasashi suddenly sat at Hikaru's side. "Hey, hey, so I decided!"

The eldest Uchiha blinked. "…Huh?"

"About the Chuunin Exam! I decided!"

"Oh, right!" He said, sitting up. "So what did you decide?"

Yasashi smiled. He looked so unlike his mother with that knowing smirk of his, his lazy but passionate eyes. "I decided why the heck not. You know?" He was addressing Hanako, too, but the girl was talking lightly to Amari about being careful of the dog's tail, and to not pull it. Yasashi sighed, "I know Hanako might say no, but I wanted you to know I'm on your side. Besides, dude, like. Even if Hanako and I wouldn't go, you'd find a way to go on your own. Might as well have us by your side when you're, you know, dying." He chuckled.

Hikaru laughed and punched Yasashi in the arm. "Thanks."

"No problem. Nothing like having faith in your friend."

"You said I was going to die."

"No, I said we're going to die, _together."_

"Shut up," Hikaru punched Yasashi in the shoulder this time. The boy recoiled.

"Quit punching me," he whined.

The two laughed and not long after, the door opened to the delivery room. Automatically, as if it were rehearsed, Kurenai and Chouji stood, as Ino Yamanaka stepped out, sweat dripping from her brow. She closed the door behind her quietly, and sighed. A smile broke out on her cheeks.

"Little Shikatani is here and healthy."

 **OoOoOoOoO**

 **KIRIGAKURE, WATER COUNTRY  
NINE YEARS AGO  
HEIWA STREET**

 _Over seventy citizens and shinobi were killed, according to reports. The attack was unannounced and unexpected. Regimens had changed in the Kirigakure government, and power was being put in the right hands. Laws had been changed that from now on, the structure of the country would not thrive on bloodshed. That they needed to be more ethical in terms of the shinobi that they were raising, because for goodness sake, it was no way to live._

 _Many vehemently argued. They said it was wrong to change tradition. That they had been powerful for so long for a reason. Their shinobi were trained to kill, and to become a shinobi, you had to kill those close to you. It was a trial all shinobi faced, and in doing so, they eliminated emotions. Weakness. Love. Their shinobi were the best for that reason, and for that reason, they would do whatever it took to keep those traditions in line._

 _Terumi Mei, the Godaime Mizukage, would have none of this. She disposed these ideas, and when she gave up her hat to that do-good Choujuro, who agreed with her in every sense of the word 'peace,' they attacked._

 _The street looked to be paved of blood and bodies. A river of death. This street was once known as Heiwa, but now the street was made of flesh, and knives. Shinobi stood around, picking up bodies, trying to identify them, vomiting with grief, crying with disgust of the men who could have done this._

 _Terumi Mei stood, the end of her skirt splattered with blood. She had arrived too late, it seemed. This attack was not regimented, and the people who had done this would pay for it. They had just dug their graves, dammit… She sighed and turned away from the small school, where the swings and slides were red. Windows were shattered._

 _No one was left as innocent. The street Heiwa was now nothing but red._

 _Mei closed her eyes and stepped forward, stepping on a lump accidentally. She recoiled, and felt an immediate pain in her chest. She'd just stepped on a child._

 _She covered her mouth and looked away. The atrocities—_

" _Unnh… ow…"_

 _Her green eyes snapped open. She whirled around, looking back at the child she'd just stepped on._

 _His eyes cracked open in pain, and bright hues of blue looked up at her. His body was red, covered in red, from under his fingernails and over his eyelashes, it was all red. But his eyes, they were so blue…_

" _Medic!" She shouted immediately, without a second thought. "Get a medic over here, now! There's a kid over here!"_

 _One little boy survived the Red Street Massacre, and seventy-eight other citizens, did not._

 **OoOoOoOoO**

 **KONOHAGAKURE, FIRE COUNTRY  
PRESENT DAY  
LEAF HOSPITAL**

Sabaku no Temari was out of the room, being examined. She was always so cautious of childbirth since her own mother had died giving birth to her youngest brother, Gaara. This was Temari's third – and final – child, and she wanted to take extra precautions to make sure she would be around for the three. Shikamaru didn't argue; it didn't hurt to take a couple extra exams to make sure she would be okay.

Shikamaru was cradling the young Shikatani in his arms. Chouji had taken Shikadai and Amari back home; they had met their brother, but quite frankly, they had been there for hours. They were tired and hungry, so Chouji was nice enough to take them home and watch them for a while. Ino had gone back to work in a different wing of the hospital, and Kurenai went to work as well, leaving Shikamaru, and Team Shika alone with the newborn.

Yasashi grinned, sitting shoulder to shoulder with Shikamaru, head bent and looking down at Shikatani. "He's so cute, sensei!" He whispered. "I can't believe it. It's like another little brother!"

Shikamaru chuckled, pulling up Shikatani's blanket closer to his chin, keeping his son warm. "Yeah. He's something. Looks like you get another kid to watch on our date nights."

Yasashi pumped up his fist in victory. Hanako snorted from where she was, sitting at a small table. Hikaru was leaning against the wall, adjacent to Shikamaru.

"So," Hanako began. "Does this mean we're not taking the Chuunin Exams?"

Shikamaru blinked, and eyed Hanako, "Hn? I'm guessing your answer is no, then?"

Hikaru looked at Hanako in mild shock, but her shake of the head dismissed it. "No, I still haven't decided. But to make the Chuunin Exams in time, we would have to leave in six days. Surely you're not going to leave your newborn?"

Shikamaru sighed, leaning back with Shikatani in arms. "I talked to Temari about it. Kurenai is more than willing to stay at our home and help with the kids if you guys decide to go. I'm not very stoked about leaving Shikatani…" He smiled as the little one made a yawn that sounded more like a yip. "But, I know this is important. If you three say yes, then we'll go as planned."

Yasashi bit his lower lip, still hovering over Shikatani. He looked at his two teammates, almost timidly.

Hikaru crossed his arms. "Well. I'm still ready to go."

"I'll go if Hanako goes," Yasashi supplied, and then all eyes were on the Inuzuka girl.

For a moment, it almost looked like she was about to become angry (it wasn't a rare occurrence for her to get angry. Quite common, actually), but she suddenly closed her eyes and kneeled, picking up her young pup into her arms. She stood and sighed, and began to head out of the room. Just as they were ready to accept that Hanako was in no way going to endanger them on such a tough test-

"Alright," she finally said. "We'll go take the exam."

 **OoOoOoOoO**

 **KIRIGAKURE, WATER COUNTRY  
PRESENT DAY  
UNION CENTER STRONGHOLD**

Terumi Kiri was a young girl with much skill, and smiles to go around, for days on end. No matter what happened, no matter the awful situation, the little girl always found a reason to smile. She was the daughter of the previous Mizukage, Terumi Mei, and her father had never been mentioned to her. She had hair like her mother's that fell in crimson tangles, half pulled up into a topknot. Her eyes were like small green pools, which glittered when her cheeks lifted in that smile that could only belong to her.

"You're staaaaring," Kiri suddenly said, and Aoi blinked, coming back to reality. Kiri giggled and blew a straw wrapper into his face. It lamely crumpled against his cheek and waned down to the floor.

Aoi snickered and shook his head. He had black hair that was also pulled into a topknot – a hairstyle that had become popular among the Union – and his eyes were bluer than any clear sky, than any lapis lazuli stone. His skin was pale as if he'd never stepped into the sun once in his life. The weather was almost always cloudy in Kirigakure, though, so his skin wasn't uncommon.

"My apologies, Kiri-sama. I just cannot understand how you're in such a lovely mood." They'd lost a battle against the rebellion last night. It ended in twenty-two casualties on their side – it wasn't the worst of casualties, but it wasn't the best, either. He had come back late last night from battle. He was a Genin, but he was a strong Genin, and they needed every ninja they could get their hands on to win against the Rebellion.

His shoulder was bandaged and there was a shallow cut on his cheek. Nevertheless, Kiri was smiling. He was glad she hadn't been in that fight last night.

"Well, I mean, you came home okay aaaand. Well. I have a surprise secret, but I'm not supposed to tell you." She smiled, being cheeky.

He flicked a pea off of his plate at her. Kiri giggled and tried to deflect it by waving her arms around wildly. It hit her dead center in the stomach. She scoffed and leaned forward on the table, propped by her elbows. "But seriously. I have a secret."

Aoi smiled and took a clump of udon noodles into his mouth, politely slurping them down. He gave her a puzzled stare, swallowed, and licked his lips. "Is this one of those secrets you're going to spill in ten seconds or less, or the kind that gives me a heart attack?"

"Maaaaaybe both?" She smiled.

Aoi smiled back. She had seen her own fair share of war, but at least, she was happy.

 **OoO**

They were summoned to the Mizukage's office, walking side by side. Kiri seemed to know why they were being summoned (Aoi assumed it had to do with the 'secret'), but said nothing. Aoi didn't pry; he was her protector, her guardian, and he had no place to ask things she knew.

He remembered nothing before the age of six. The day of the Red Street Massacre was a blur, a crimson blur, but then the world came into focus, and he was in the arms of Kiri's mother, Terumi Mei. She took him in and cared for him, alongside her three-year old daughter Kiri. She trained Aoi how to be a shinobi, in the sole intent of him becoming the person who would take care of Kiri for the remainder of his days.

He lived up Mei's standards, and became a fine shinobi, worthy of being Terumi Kiri's protector.

He took his role seriously. Without Mei or Kiri, his life really would have no meaning. He was a blank slate, his parents had most likely dead in the Red Street Massacre. He had no name besides the one given to him by Mei. She had named him 'Aoi' because of the very color of his eyes. _"In all of the bloodshed that occurred that day, all of the red I saw… a little blue miracle like you just somehow managed to make it out alive…"_ That's how Mei always told the story when Aoi and Kiri were young. It had been a long time since she had tucked him into bed. He was sixteen years old now, but he only had ten years of memories. Kiri was thirteen, now, much too old to be sung to sleep.

"Are you okay, Aoi?" Kiri suddenly asked, and Aoi was jolted from his thoughts.

"Huh?" he wondered, looking down at her. She was about a foot shorter than him.

"You've been acting like you got your brains kicked out of you since you got back. Did something happen last night… during the fight?" She held his wrist, worriedly. They stopped in the wall, steps away from the Rokudaime's office.

Something had happened. He wasn't about to tell her that, though. He couldn't bear it if she thought less of him. He would be alright, he was just… a little off. He knew he was trying to keep his mind off of it by thinking of other things. Thinking of Kiri made it easy to forget awful things, because she was such a wonderful person.

He didn't need for force a smile on that thought. "No, Kiri-sama, I'm fine. A little tired and worn from partaking in battle, but I am just well enough."

Her face fell into concern, her hand tightening around his wrist. Her palm was sweaty. "Take it easy tonight, then, okay? We have a big day tomorrow…"

Aoi blinked. "Tomorrow? What is tomorrow, pray tell?"

She smiled, "Well… we're taking the Chuunin Exams! I wasn't supposed to tell you, Choujuro-sama was supposed to, but… please, take it-"

"The Chuunin Exams? You'll be killed!"

"…Thanks for the unbridled support, there."

A short, angry breath left Aoi. He shook his head, "No, no, it's not you I'm worried about… At the last exam, over twelve Rebels had gone there-"

"Rebels aren't allowed to take the exam anymore because of that!" Kiri said, not exactly angry, but pushing. "They're technically not allied anymore with us, and that means they're not with the other villages. And I'll have you there with me. You know… we're a duo!" She grinned.

Aoi didn't smile back. He was more than a little worried. And they would be leaving tomorrow… He sighed, "A duo is fine and well, Kiri… but we'll need a third member if we're to compete. And we're the only ones experienced enough as Genin to take the exam right now. I-"

"I know," Kiri interjected, pressing fingers to Aoi's lips. "We have someone. Don't worry. And don't hurt yourself. Loosen up."

She pushed at Aoi's shoulders, and smiled once he let his shoulders relax, with a heaving sigh. They stared at each other for a long, pounding moment, before Aoi gave up and said,

"Alright. So who is this 'someone?'"

 **OoO**

Aoi had never seen him before. He was average height, maybe a little shorter than Aoi, but he had more muscle than Aoi. He had hair like wildfire, not red, but a daring orange. Almost like a pumpkin. It spiked out in all directions, his hair held back by his headband that framed the sides of his face. His eyes were almost yellow, with a tint of auburn in them. His jaw was set, standing off to the side in the council room.

Aoi had never seen him before in his life. His headband bore the symbol of the Union, though, so it must be within well reason?

But Aoi knew everyone here. Which meant…

He was either a rebel, raised by rebels, or he had been captured by the rebels until just recently. In any scenario, Aoi did not trust him.

Kiri waved at him politely as the Rokudaime Chojuro stood, introducing them to their new teammate.

"This," he gestured, "is Jinta. I know you may n-not know him, but that's because he hasn't been… among us. He has been among the-"

"The Rebels," Aoi finished, his voice laced with disgust. Jinta raised a brow at him. "Why should we trust him, then?"

Chojuro blinked, having not expecting such a perfect soldier such as Aoi to speak disrespectfully. Kiri lightly elbowed Aoi in the ribs, and Chojuro continued.

"Well," he began. "Jinta came to us some years back. We rescued him, actually. He was wounded..." Chojuro turned to Jinta, as if he were unsure where to go from there.

Jinta stepped forward, a small smile coming to his lips. Aoi's lip curled in disgust. "Well," the flame-haired boy began. "After the Union saved me, I felt like I owed them. So… I started being a spy for them. I guess you could call it. I started feeding the Union information about the Rebels, and you know the sort. Um, I got found out though, by the Rebels, and they're uh, kind of looking for my head. So I came back here because I didn't want to lose my head!" He scratched his neck, almost as if he were really afraid someone might take it off.

Aoi might. He adjusted his bandolier and straightened, almost trying to size Jinta up.

Chojuro nodded. "Of course, we welcomed him in. And since you two needed someone to join your group in the Chuunin Exams, we decided he was the best fit. After all, Jinta was once among the Rebels, he knows their faces. He can pick out any threats that might try and come after Kiri."

Kiri shyly looked away, nodding. Aoi huffed, "I can care for Kiri-sama just as well. I don't need any help."

"I know, Aoi. And Terumi Mei-sama trusted you enough to take care of her, so I trust you just as much," Chojuro said, smiling, as if remembering a fond memory of Mei. He seemed to shake the memory away. "But, you will need a third member in order to participate in the Chuunin Exams. If you become Chuunin, you are only a step away from Jounin, and when you become a Jounin-"

"I can save this land," Kiri spoke, resolutely.

Chojuro smiled. "Yes. I know you may be uncomfortable with Jinta around, but, he is well trusted. We have never had a problem with him." Chojuro turned to Jinta. "And of course, if there is a problem, you have my permission to deal with him as you see fit."

Jinta nodded, in full agreement. It seemed too easy. Letting a Rebel travel with them? Aoi didn't trust him, not with an inch of his life. Or Kiri's… and he would not risk her life on some bloody rebel…

He would protect her. If she wished to take this risk, then fine, but he would not sleep or relax with someone like this in their midst. He hoped Chojuro-sama knew what he was talking about…

Jinta shot Aoi a reassuring smile, and it filled Aoi's gut with dread.

 **OoOoOoOoO**

 **KONOHAGAKURE, FIRE COUNTRY  
SIX DAYS LATER  
VILLAGE GATES**

There was a large group assembled at the village gates by the time Hikaru arrived. He had run late (saying goodbye to four siblings and an overprotective mother was trying, after all). He was supposed to meet his team at the usual spot, but they were long gone by the time he had arrived. He was now rushing to the village gates, out of breath, his jacket clenched in his hand, only wearing a black t-shirt and his white pants. His weapon pouches were lazily strewn in his belt loops. A kunai almost slipped out but he caught it, his eyes quickly searching the crowd for-

There!

The young Uchiha raced forward and slipped through the crowd, skidding to a stop just as he nearly ran into his sensei's back. Shikamaru turned, his face annoyed. "About time you showed up. You've been so crazy about these exams and then you show up late."

"Yo!" Yasashi grinned as Hikaru blushed, murmuring an apology. He waved to Yasashi, then smiled at Hanako, who was holding Kiiromaru in her arms. She looked tired (it was almost six AM in the morning) and he wondered why (it was six AM, she must have been awake at three AM, at least, that's what Hikaru assumed. The girl was always early.) He smiled at her and she weakly smiled back, before training her eyes ahead.

"So, why were you late?" Yasashi wondered. He seemed to be the only one up and ready. Shikamaru-sensei was always a little edgy leaving the village; he would miss his children dearly. Hikaru had no idea why Hanako was foul, and he had no idea why Yasashi was so peppy. He was usually the one dragging his feet this early in the morning.

"I woke up a little late and then I had to say goodbye to my family. Akira made me," he fished into his pocket and pulled out a small charm, "this good luck talisman. She then begged to sleep in my room while I was gone," he snickered, short of breath still. He threw his jacket over his shoulders and tightened his weapon pouches around his belt, still panting. He pushed the charm back into his pocket. He nudged Hanako with his elbow. "You alright?"

"Yeah," she said, without blinking.

That wasn't a lie. At all.

Hikaru knew her better, though, and decided to step back and leave her alone.

Instead he decided to talk to Yasashi, who had apparently drank three cups of coffee. That's why he was so hyper, but it was only a matter of time that he came down from that caffeine high. Hikaru decided to enjoy it while he could. When Yasashi got tired, he would be the only optimism left in the group.

"What are we waiting for, anyway?" Hikaru huffed, his breath finally catching up with him.

"For Naruto," Shikamaru droned. "He's a troublesome fellow, but he's going to give us some kind of sendoff. There's a lot of politics involved with the Chuunin exams. We doing our best helps our village financially and socially. The place we're going to is a neutral country – The Land of Snow – and it's a huge hub for all of that cultural stuff. Place to make friends, and the like. Naruto's just going to remind us of conduct."

"Conduct?" Hanako wondered.

"Well. There are a lot of politicians who go to the Land of Snow, and a lot of important figures. Try not to punch any of them in the face, or make them mad by poking fun."

"Ah," Hikaru said.

"You hear that, Hika? No punching people. I know you like to, but," Yasashi was cut off when Hikaru punched his arm.

"Shut up, man."

Yasashi giggled in reply.

"HOOOOOOOOOH. IF IT ISN'T SHIKAMARU-SAN!"

Shikamaru blinked and turned to look over his shoulder, only to suddenly be pulled into a hug by a giant blob of green. Shikamaru stiffened and was released, stepping back. "Oh. Lee. Hey."

"And a grand good morning to you, Shikamaru! What brings you here to this joyous occasion?"

"Ah, well, I'm taking my students to the Chuu-"

"HOOOOOOOOOH! So it seems our fates have crossed, then, Shikamaru-san!" The man – Lee? – suddenly grinned and his teeth were so bright that Hikaru _swore_ sparkles were coming off of them. The man was strange-looking, wearing bright green spandex with a bright red headband on tied around his waist. He was wearing… orange legwarmers. And his eyebrows were the size of seaweed. His eyes themselves were round, big, black, and framed with large lashes.

He looked out of place, even for a lively place like Konohagakure. This was the kind of man his mother warned Hikaru to stay away from.

Shikamaru did not seem the slightest bit phased. He must have known this one for some time now. "Hn? You got a team, Lee?"

"No!" Lee said defiantly, and then began to toss kicks up into the air. "I got three bright, young individuals with the POWER OF YOUTH and enough heart to change a nation! I got three young minds to craft and mold into brilliant disciples! I have three students who have THE POWER OF YOUTH ROARING WITHIN THEIR BURNING SOULS!" Hikaru blinked because _holy shit_ it looked like there was legit fire in his eyes.

"Whoa, this guy is intense," Yasashi whispered over. Hikaru and Hanako could only nod numbly.

Shikamaru looked a little confused but apparently his confusion wasn't important enough. He seemed to ignore it. "Whatever floats your boat…. Er, these are my students. This is Hanako, Yasashi, and Hikaru." He pointed at the three respectively.

"Ahh!" Lee smiled, immediately ruffling Yasashi's and Hikaru's hair. "This is Sasuke-kun's son and Kurenai-sensei's son, right? They're so- so grown up!"

Shikamaru actually chuckled at that. "Oh, yeah, you haven't seen these guys since they were born, yeah? Guys, this is-"

"MY NAME IS ROCK LEE! I knew your father, Hikaru-kun, when we were your age! Ah, what youthful days! I defeated him the first ever time we met, and he was inspired by my taijutsu and created some of his own victories from watching me fight! And your mother, Yasashi-kun, I used to help her with groceries when she was carrying you!"

Yasashi blushed bashfully. (Anyone who was nice to his mom was fine in his books.) "Oh, really? Thanks, Lee-san!"

"Please! Call me Lee-sensei!"

"Ah, sure."

Hikaru blinked. _His father –Uchiha Sasuke –_ was bested by… this guy? That had to be a joke… He looked to Hanako for support… only to see that she was trying not to laugh, coughing into her sleeve, her shoulders shaking. Hikaru rolled his eyes.

"So, when did you get students, Lee?" Shikamaru wondered, looking actually curious.

Lee grinned. "Some months back! Naruto-kun asked me personally if I was interested in taking on a team, so of course it was a tough decision, but then, I thought, it is time for me to pass on my youthful spirit to the next generation! So I accepted his offer!"

"Feel bad for them," Hikaru muttered over his shoulder to Hanako. If she had been drinking something, it would have come out of her nose.

Shikamaru scratched the back of his head. "Then they're participating in the exams? That's kind of early, don't you think?"

"It was a rather tough decision, but…. In the end, I decided, I would give them a chance! You see- oh! Here they are! WONDERFUL STUDENTS! ALIGN YOURSELF BEFORE YOUR SENSEI!"

Yasashi giggled and no one blamed him because, well, it was kind of ridiculous, and Hikaru immediately felt bad for his students, whoever they were.

Three students – two boys and one girl - emerged from the crowd, and suddenly, Hikaru only felt bad for two of them.

Hagane Kagura's eyes lit up when they passed over Hikaru's form, and Yamanaka Koushiro's big blue eyes did, too. Hikaru was amazed – they were here, too? And they were on a team with-

"These are my wonderful disciples! Koushiro-kun, Kagura-chan, and Takeshi-kun!"

"Hiya," Yasashi waved, and Hanako gave them a nod. Shikamaru opened his mouth to say something, but Kagura beat him to it.

"Hikaru-kun!" Kagura grinned, and dashed forward, slamming Hikaru into a bear hug. Hikaru laughed and hugged her back just as tightly.

"Kagura! It's good to see you! I didn't know you and Koushiro were taking the exams!"

The hug pulled apart and she sighed, a small smile on her face. "Yeah. Lee-sensei-"

Another body barreled them into another hug and Koushiro smiled, "Our trio is back!"

Hikaru laughed and so did Kagura, the three hugging. They pulled apart.

"You know him, Koushiro-kun, Kagura-chan?" Lee wondered, blinking.

Koushiro grinned. "Yep! We and Hikaru have been friends since we started the Academy! He graduated a year early so we haven't seen each other in a while. Well now this is exciting! We get to take the exams together!"

Hikaru grinned, "Yeah." Takeshi was the last person he wanted to see, but in a way, he really was excited to take the exams against him. After years of their rivalry, of constantly trying to outdo the other, this was it.

He stepped back, "And these are my teammates, Hanako, Kiiromaru, and Yasashi." Kiiromaru yet out a loud yip and Hanako gently pat his head. "And this is my sensei, Shikamaru."

"N-nice to meet you!" Koushiro beamed, cheeks pink and eyes bright. Per usual. He hadn't changed much in the past year, and for that, Hikaru was grateful. Koushiro was one of his best friends and he had always hoped it would always be like that.

Kagura gave them a polite smile, looking Hanako up and down before she decided Hanako was no threat, and turned her attention to Hikaru. "It's been so long, Hikaru! How are you? And I can't believe you're-"

"OH!" Lee suddenly interjected. "That must mean you know Takeshi-kun as well, right?"

The Uchiha was faced with many decisions: he could address Takeshi and come off as polite and unnerved by his presence, or he could very well ignore Takeshi and dismiss his presence. He could say he never knew Takeshi at all and stand an uncomfortable silence. Or, he could lash out at Takeshi, start a fist fight, and ultimately get scolded.

The last one only sounded appealing because he would be able to smack that impassive look off of Takeshi's stupid face.

In the end he sighed and looked toward Takeshi, who was staring him down already. They looked at each other for a moment, staring intensely. This was it; this was the first time they had seen each other in over a year. Hikaru nearly forgot what Takeshi looked like – and did he get more piercings? He couldn't see his left ear from the angle, but there was four in the right ear, two on his brow, and the one on his lower lip. That was seven in total, from what Hikaru could see… It had been so long. For so long Hikaru hadn't really the time to think of old rivalries, but there he was. This was-

Hikaru's thought process was knocked off when Takeshi dismissed Hikaru with a vague roll of his eyes.

"Please, Wonder Boy, cut with the dramatics."

Hikaru's face flushed red and his jaw set. It's like Takeshi knew what he was thinking. Immediately he felt himself revert, like he had traveled back a year in time. "Fuck off, Takeshi."

"Hn," Takeshi hummed, looking away. Hikaru huffed and looked away, his blush setting when he realized his team was staring at him, expressions confused. Hikaru knew why – expletives were meant in a joking matter most of the time, and the other percentage of the time was when Hikaru was so mad he had nothing else left to say. The latter often happened in the stage of a fight.

Hanako, in particular, looked curious, and her eyes flashed in a sudden realization, that this was the reason Hikaru wanted to take these stupid exams to begin with. Her face molded into a scowl, and she snapped her head away so she wasn't looking at him.

Great.

"HOOOOH? Do I sense a rivalry in our midst?!" Lee exclaimed, looking positively thrilled. He stroke a dramatic pose, "Ah, I see! Young rivalry, what a wonderful thing to set passion into the soul! You boys are excellent successors to the passion of our days~!"

"I feel so bad for you two," Shikamaru suddenly blurted, his face impassive. Yasashi nodded.

Takeshi actually smirked though, nodding once at Lee. "Yeah. Wonder Boy and I are at a final standoff situation."

Hikaru opened his mouth; Lee spoke first. "AAAAAAH? HOOOH? OHHHHH? A final standoff, you say! Well, then, Shikamaru-san, it seems our team, and your team, are at a perpetual war! It seems that although friendship has prevailed in the past, this is the final standoff between two comrades, who were forever locked in battle. This, I say, is the time for you to shine, YOUTH!" Tears ran down his face and he pumped a fist in the air.

He went on like that, maybe, for a while, Hikaru didn't know. Yasashi started laughing and having a conversation with Kagura and Koushiro, and Shikamaru was groaning, shaking his head, saying how troublesome everything was.

Hikaru wouldn't know exactly, though, what Lee went on to say, because the next thing he knew, Takeshi was tapping his shoulder, murmuring, "Let's go talk for a minute, why don't we, Wonder Boy."

 **OoO**

Naruto had not arrived yet. Hikaru assumed they had the time, so he followed Takeshi, close behind, his eyes set forward. He wasn't sure if anyone noticed that the two had left, but for the moment he supposed he didn't care. He had heard through a grapevine that Takeshi was taking the exams, and by extension, Kagura and Koushiro (although he hadn't an idea THAT was who their sensei turned out to be). He was worried for his friends, worried that Takeshi had coaxed their sensei into letting them take the exam so he could excel, putting the two weaker teammates into a bad situation…

Underneath those reasons, though, Hikaru just had this inane drive to compete against Takeshi. It was ingrained to him, tattooed into his ninja way that Takeshi was his rival. Not an enemy by any means, not someone he should kill, but someone he needed to beat in order to better himself. Takeshi was always an obstacle and in his mindset, he would continue on to be an obstacle.

Hanako could be mad that he endangered his own team just for this, but it was something he needed to accomplish.

A gnawing feeling hit him, because honestly, he shouldn't have dragged Hanako and Yasashi into this.

Takeshi stopped, and Hikaru fell to a short stop, just steps behind him. Takeshi leaned against one of the very millions of trees in Konohagakure, glancing up at Hikaru with his glacier eyes. "Didn't know you were taking this test, Wonder Boy."

His fingers twitched into a half-formed fist at the old nickname, but he pushed that thought away.

"Didn't know you were either," he lied.

Takeshi scoffed and for a moment it sounded like he knew that Hikaru knew all along, but on the other hand, maybe it sounded bitter. He didn't say anything after that, so Hikaru spoke up.

"So what now? Are we just going to ignore each other?" He crossed his arms, brow raised.

The boy sighed. He seemed to think something over, mumbled something under his breath, and then looked up at Hikaru. "Even if we did try to ignore each other, it wouldn't work. We would inevitably be faced against each other at some point, Wonder Boy. Knowing us."

Hikaru clicked his tongue. "Yeah. Knowing us. So, then?"

A small smirk crept to Takeshi's lips. "How about a wager, then?"

 **OoO**

"Ever since the Great Fourth War, our nations have been closely knit as allies, and we have always come to the aid of a friend in need. Before the war our differences divided us, our leaders segregated us, and our lands have constantly fallen into war. But… In the war, I made many friends. I defeated many foes of our common enemy, and I faced many challenges.

"This era is one I strive to keep at peace. Our lands do not have to fight if our bonds keep us connected as friends! I believe that if we never give up on the notion of peace, and prosperity, then we will never see the day when our world is a battlefield!

"My master taught me many things of peace… heh… He never once stopped believing in humanity, in the ninja world, in us. In the next generation. I want to carry out his wishes, and so I entrust his wishes to you.

"The Chuunin Exams is our way to keep our world the way it was meant to be. I encourage you to win, but I do not encourage you to defeat your foes, but instead, help them stand again. I encourage you to make friends with those from a foreign land and a foreign view! And in that way, making friends, building bonds across nations, I believe that we can continue the peace we have had since the last Great War!"

The crowd erupted into cheers, claps of the people who had been scarred from the last war, who still carry the wounds, loud voices of the people who had never once had to see bloodshed on the massive scale. Cheers from the wise, cheers from the ignorant, but above that, from the people who strived to keep their world the way it was.

Their world was wonderful. Why would they ever change it?

Naruto Uzumaki grinned, his smile infectious among the people. "Seems you're all revved up and ready to go! In that case, why am I stopping you? Go on and get out there!"

The crowd roared.

A tall, gaunt figure leaned over Takeshi's shoulder, his nails like obsidian rapiers, hair white like snow.

" _It's time to get out there, Takeshi."_

His cold eyes burned.

 **OoOoOoOoO**

 **A/N:** That only took forever to finish. College is hard.


End file.
